


Dream Haunting

by Bremol



Category: Vera (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-19 09:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 52,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9432245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bremol/pseuds/Bremol
Summary: When Vera's team winds up with a case that involves the double murder of a couple in their home - there's an eerie resemblance between the female victim and the DCI which leads Vera down a winding path of near madness.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for NaNoWriMo 2016 and helped me get my first 'Winner' title and certificate. I love the Vera series, mostly because Brenda Blethyn is amazing as Vera, but the rest of the cast also blends so well that it all just keeps me coming back for more. I'm not so patiently awaiting series 7. 
> 
> Remember...this is a murder mystery/drama just as the series is so it has all of the elements that the series does - i.e. blood, etc. in some of the chapters.

 

 

 

 

 

Vera sighed as she looked at the great old manse looming in the distance. She’d never been in the place, but knew that the people living here had bought it only ten years before and done some renovations on it.

Something had seemed suspicious about the place when she’d driven by earlier and she hadn’t been able to make herself ignore the niggling feeling that she needed to go back. So, here she was, parking the Land Rover outside the place and taking a deep breath before heading to the front door to knock.

Only…the front door was standing wide open, a trail of blood leading her through the foyer, up the stairs, and straight into the master bedroom.

“Oh bloody hell,” she breathed as she stopped and stared at the gruesome sight on the bed. The wall and ceiling were covered in blood, the bed a pool of it. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the covers to slip on her shoes so she could move closer to the scene.

Standing at the side of the bed, Vera stared down on the couple who had been murdered in the throes of their love making. She’d seen all sorts in this line of work, but she’d never had a scene where the couple were still intimately joined. The woman’s back had the word, MINE, carved into it, the man’s legs slashed from thigh to ankle.

Standing and staring in shock at the woman’s face, the perfect skin unmarred by cuts, bruises, or blood, was marred by the utter pain and horror on the unmoving face. Vera couldn’t seem to breathe. The unseeing eyes staring back at her, the nose, the lips…all of it was hers. Her face, her eyes, her mouth.

Finally catching her breath, Vera felt her stomach roiling and knew she was going to retch if she didn’t do something to take her mind off what she’d just discovered. Closing her eyes, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile.

Only one person could handle this job. She couldn’t let anyone else see this face, this body. “Billy,” she whispered when she heard the familiar voice on the phone. “Marcus is on holiday. I need you.” She listened to her friend assure her he’d come and ask her for the address. Giving him what he needed, she couldn’t stop the near strangled, “Please hurry,” that left her lips before ending the call.

She knew that she needed to call the rest of her team and forensics, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. How was she going to deal with this case? This woman was exactly like her. True, her body was thinner and her hair dark with blonde highlights, but those were the only differences as far as Vera could see. It was as if she was staring at a blurred mirror image of herself. Damned if it didn’t feel like she’d stepped through the bloody looking glass.

Tearing her eyes away, she looked at the night table and found a photo of the couple smiling happily at one another in a picture that looked to have been taken just recently. The look on the man’s face as he stared into his wife’s eyes told Vera that he had been deeply in love with the woman in his arms.

Hearing a noise downstairs, she walked from the room and stared down the landing, trembling when she saw Billy making his way toward her. “It’s bad, Billy,” she whispered. “I’m sorry to drag you back into this but…”

“What has you so spooked, Vera? I’ve never seen you this way on a case before.”

Pointing into the room, Vera closed her eyes. “See for yourself.”

Billy gave her a searching look then made his way to the bed, his keen eyes taking in the details even as they moved to the face. A gasp slipped out before he could stop it and he looked up to see Vera staring at him from across the room. “My god. It’s like,” he shook his head. “No wonder you wanted me. I’ll do my best, Vera, but my assistants will have to see.”

She nodded. “I just don’t want Kenny and the rest seeing her. I know she’s not me, but…”

“But she’s enough like you that you’re afraid they’ll have images in their heads that you’d rather they didn’t. I know.” Billy smiled kindly at her, understanding her in a way that no one else did.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I need to call Forensics and Aiden.”

“Go on then. Send my assistant up.”

Vera nodded then hurried out of the room and down the stairs. “Go on up,” she told the young woman, thankful the assistant on call today had been a woman not a man.

She couldn’t seem to get her mind on anything else, and when she closed her eyes all she saw was her own eyes staring unseeing back at her. Making her way outside, she pulled her mobile back out of her pocket and dialed Aiden’s number, rolling her eyes when it went straight to voicemail. Ending the call without leaving a message, she dialed Shep, thankful the woman was always easy to reach. Telling her the address to come to, Vera ended the call and leaned against the Land Rover.

She didn’t know what was going on, but she couldn’t process the sight of the victims and move on to processing the rest of the scene as she always did when she went to a murder scene. True, she’d never come upon a scene where the victim, or one of the victims as the case may be, had her face, but that still shouldn’t be a problem. Vera had trained with the best of them. She’d always had a mind that could compartmentalize things into a proper order of relevance, even back to her days as a child in school. Compartmentalizing had always been her way of coping with things, making it possible for her to catch details at a scene that others might possibly have missed.

But not this time.

This time all she could see, think about, process, was the mutilated body upstairs with her face. She found herself wondering if the woman sounded like her. Did she walk the same? That had Vera rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Of course the woman didn’t walk the same. The woman was a lady from the look of her in the picture and a lady didn’t walk like Vera knew she herself walked.

She really needed a name. Taking a deep breath, she headed back toward the door, pausing when she saw Shep pull in only moments before the Forensics team. Seeing the team made her realize she’d forgotten to call them. She shrugged, Billy must have called, knowing how rattled she was. She was very grateful he’d not questioned her asking him to step in for Marcus. Being one of the bosses meant Billy never went out on cases anymore, but it also meant that he could if he chose to. In this case, he’d chosen to do as a friend asked mainly because the friend was Vera, and she knew it. If anyone else had asked him to step in for one of his team that was out on holiday, she knew he would have simply sent one of the others out instead.

Billy hadn’t even questioned why she was asking, he’d simply asked for directions to where she was. He’d known from the tone of her voice that something was wrong. He was the only one that knew her well enough to know things without her saying. She shrugged. Joe had been fairly decent at that, but he was gone and all she was left with that had any years with her was Kenny.

“Shep,” she greeted when the younger woman came up to her. “I need you to promise something before you go in.”

Shep studied her boss, something seemed off. “What is it?”

“Keep what you see under your hat as far as the woman goes, eh?” Vera could see the woman was confused and held up her hand to stem any questions. “You’ll understand when you see.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Shep agreed then made her way inside, her mind swirling with all sorts of questions.

Following behind, Vera stopped inside the home and looked around. She saw pictures on the fireplace mantel and moved to them, seeing faces she assumed were the couple’s children. Pulling gloves on, she lifted one of the pictures and stared down at it. A wedding photo of a younger version of the couple upstairs. She could see how in love they were, the same love she’d seen in the photo by the bed. Putting the frame back in its place, she moved around the room, coming to a door that led to an office. On the desk she finally found something that had names.

Martin and Hellen Kingsley.

Searching some more, she found tickets to Bali, a box that when opened revealed a stunning ring that must have cost the husband a hefty sum, and a note that revealed more about the couple.

_My darling, I know I’ve hurt you in the past, but I hope that this trip and this ring will show you that I love you – always have done. The kids are all married now, it’s just us again, and I want us to enjoy our lives together. Please, will you accept my apology and go away with me? It’s a month with nothing to do but spend our days together, learning all over again what made us fall in love with each other in the first place. Martin_

Vera laid the note down then rummaged through the rest of the papers to see if there was anything that might give her a clue as to what happened. There were dates circled on the calendar but no explanation as to why they were circled, just different color ink on certain ones, but that only told her that there was a difference in the appointment or occasion on those particular days.

Closing her eyes against the headache that was starting, she saw Hellen’s face staring back at her again. Opening her eyes and shaking her head, she left the room to make her way back up the stairs. She’d have to see the bodies once again to talk to Billy and learn what he’d discovered in his inspection of the scene, but it couldn’t be helped. She had questions and she needed answers.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_“Bloody hell, Hellen!”_

_Hellen wiped her mouth and looked up at her husband. “Leave me alone,” she cried as she rushed to the bathroom to clean herself up. She hadn’t wanted sex, but in her inebriated state had given in. After tonight she wasn’t going to let her husband have his way with her again. Enough was enough._

_Martin rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room. “Hellen!”_

_Hellen, having at least rinsed her mouth out, opened the door and glared at her husband. “No more! Don’t touch me. I don’t even want you in my bed!”_

_“Our bed, damn it!”_

_“My bed!” she yelled. “Now let me be. I need a bath.”_

_Martin rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll move my things to another room.”_

_“Thank you.” Hellen whispered, a small part of her aching at the dull tone of her husband’s words. She was sure she’d hurt him, but she just couldn’t bear it anymore. She saw no reason to continue to give in to his advances when she wanted nothing to do with sex. She never had liked the act, but her need to be…her need to be what, she wondered. Shaking her head, she closed the door and locked it before stripping off her robe and starting the water for her bath._

Vera jerked awake and looked around her room, sure that she’d find herself in a bathroom running a bath and pouring in a blue liquid for bubbles, instead finding herself in her familiar bedroom, the moon shining in through the window.

“What the bloody hell was that?” she muttered in the darkness, wondering just where in the world her mind had conjured that dream from. Sighing as she rolled over, she slapped her pillow back into shape and closed her eyes, hoping another dream didn’t disrupt her sleep.

_Hellen felt her face burn as she realized what she’d interrupted. Looking away from her mother-in-law, she sat the plate she carried down then mumbled a hasty goodbye and left as quickly as she could. Good heavens! When the hell had that started? Sex? And in the afternoon no less! She’d never be able to face Anne again! She’d known about Anne’s friend, she’d heard Martin mumbling about the man often enough, but she’d had no idea they were doing…she felt her face burn. Bloody heck! What was she to say to Martin?_

_“Well you won’t be telling him about this!” Hellen muttered to herself as she opened her car door. Sitting behind the wheel, she slammed the door shut then stared out at nothing in particular trying to get her thoughts under control. She knew that her mother and father-in-law hadn’t been anything more than two people living in the same house so she’d just assumed one or both of them didn’t care for sex. She blushed as she muttered, “Obviously I was wrong.”_

Vera tossed about as she saw scenery passing her by as though she were in the car. She could feel the embarrassment and heard the woman’s thoughts as though they were her own. Trying to wake up, she moaned as she struggled and finally came awake. Sitting up, she swung her feet around and got out of bed, giving up on sleep.

Looking at the clock only made her scowl – four bloody o’clock in the morning. What a horrible night of, she shook her head…not sleep. Whatever that was, Vera definitely knew she wouldn’t call it sleep or rest of any sort. She felt more tired now than she had when she’d crawled into bed only four short hours ago.

Grabbing her robe, she pulled it on and tied it about her as she stuffed her feet into her slippers. If she was going to be up this early she might as well go back to studying the case notes she’d brought home with her last night, the same ones that had kept her up late in the first place.

Sitting at the table and staring down at Billy’s scraggly handwriting, she felt the same sort of panic she’d felt when she’d first heard his report. Hellen had been alive when her husband was stabbed repeatedly. She’d watched in horror as the man she loved gasped for air once his throat was cut. Her front was covered in not just her blood, but that of her husband. This wasn’t just a senseless murder, there was passion and madness behind the motive.

Hellen had been stabbed in the heart then her throat slit before her body was let to fall forward so that MINE could be carved on her back. That word made Vera wonder if the murderer had been a stalker. Or maybe she’d had an affair that had gone wrong? Though nothing they’d discovered about the couple so far would suggest as much. They had managed to discover the husband owned a couple of clubs of the lap and pole dance variety, but not much else. The children, a son and a daughter, hadn’t been contacted yet because one was still on their honeymoon and the other was away on a business trip. No one they talked to seemed to have phone numbers for either of them. There was Martin’s mother, which Vera had hoped wouldn’t be the one they would have to tell, but a day was gone without any resolution in contacting the children so first thing later this morning she knew she would have to go to Anne’s residence and tell her.

Vera hoped that the woman wasn’t alone, knowing that this was going to break her heart. She’d seen the pictures of Martin with an older woman and had found confirmation that the woman was his mother. She had seen the adoration in the woman’s eyes as she looked at her son, the way Martin’s arm was wrapped around his mother, and knew that they were close. How was she going to break this woman’s heart without breaking her own?

Telling the families was always hard, but Vera had always found it harder when it was a mother she was telling that their child had been murdered. She supposed it was because of her own mother, the loss of her when she was so young, or maybe it was because mothers always took the news the hardest. “Or maybe you’re just an old softy,” she muttered to herself.

Looking at the photos from the scene, she once again found herself wondering just how the murderer had managed to keep the couple joined as he murdered them. She had questioned Billy about it, wondering if the murderer had positioned them that way, but Billy had told her that wasn’t what happened, that everything pointed to the original thought that they’d been attacked in the middle of making love.

Vera looked at the pictures and other reports. Forensics had found nothing but the couple’s fingerprints and bloody shoe prints in the room. Only one of them was good enough to be of any use, the others smeared to the point of barely being recognized as prints. By the size of the print, they’d determined that the murderer was a man, which Vera had rolled her eyes at. Of course it was a bloody man! She’d had no doubt of that just looking at the way the victims were murdered. She’d never met a woman that had enough brute strength to do the damage that she’d been staring at.

Shep had been a big help keeping Kenny and the others from seeing Hellen. Billy had done as he promised and no actual photographs of the bodies had made their way into anyone’s hands but hers. It was bad enough hearing the gasps and whispers when she’d put the photo of the couple up on the board in the incident room. If she could have gotten by without it, she wouldn’t have done that, but the team needed to see their victims’ faces. She’d heard Shep growling at Kenny later and wondered just what the younger woman had caught him saying, but she hadn’t asked because she thought it was best not to know.

Feeling her eyes grow heavy, she nodded off, her head resting on her hand. Images swirled and focused until she was once again seeing things that didn’t make sense, hearing the voice that was like hers but not hers.

_“He hasn’t. At least I don’t think he has. It’s me.”_

_“Can you tell me what that problem is?”_

_Hellen sighed and felt her face crumble in embarrassment and tears as she looked across at the dark haired woman._

_“It’s okay, Hellen. We’ll take our time.” She slid a bowl of stones across the table and smiled at Hellen. “Would you pick a stone out of that bowl for me? A stone you feel some kind of affinity with.”_

_Hellen sighed as she reached out and fingered through the stones, finally finding one to pick up. Answering the question of, why that one, she was near tears again as she stated that it was because it seemed as though it was the odd one out…how she’d always felt. She confessed that she didn’t know if she wanted to be with Martin anymore, that she’d been planning to leave him once the children were gone. Tears finally rolled down her cheeks as she admitted she didn’t like Martin near her, didn’t like for him to touch her anymore. It hurt physically to admit it, but what was the point of being here if she didn’t tell the truth? It had hurt physically being away from her home last night as well. She was so very confused._

Vera’s eyes popped open. What was happening to her? She couldn’t possibly be seeing things that happened to Hellen. Could she? She shook her head. No, that would make her…well, just no. That wasn’t what was happening. She was just simply over tired and a bit dazed that one of the victims had her face. That was enough to throw anyone off their game.

Her phone rang and jarred her out of her crazed thoughts. “Billy?” she said his name as a question, wondering just why it was that he was calling her this early, surprised that he was up before the sun. “What? Oh don’t be daft,” she grumbled at him when he asked if she’d been up all night. “I’m always up this early,” she lied, knowing that he knew she was lying. She was often up early, just not this early. “Never you mind. Why are you up early?” she redirected his questions, not ready to share the dreams she’d been having with anyone…still unsure of what they were exactly. “Of course I have your file. You told me to take it. Bloody hell, Billy! Where’s your head?” she regretted the question as soon as she’d asked it, rolling her eyes at his snarky, rather raunchy, answer. “Go back to bed, you daft thing.”

Shaking her head as she ended the call and laid the phone back on the table, she sighed as she looked down at the faces staring up at her from the photograph. “What happened to you? Who did this?” she asked, wondering once again if the dead was talking to her in her dreams and once again dismissing the notion.


	3. Chapter 3

Aiden could see that his boss was tired, the dark circles under her eyes a telling sign that she wasn’t sleeping well…or simply wasn’t sleeping at all. He didn’t know her well enough to push buttons to get her to talk, but he did know her well enough to know that she was going to blow if she heard what Kenny was saying. The man just simply couldn’t keep himself from commenting repeatedly on the victim’s resemblance to their boss. Shep hissed at him any time she caught him, but it didn’t seem to do any good. He found it odd that they hadn’t seen any photos of the bodies as they’d been found, but seeing the face of the woman…well, he wasn’t surprised. Vera, he was sure, didn’t want them getting images in their heads that would make it hard for them to face her.

Though it would seem Kenny already had images. Aiden rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Kenny!” he growled. “If she hears you,” he warned.

Kenny shrugged his shoulders. “She’s off in another world,” he muttered as he pointed to Vera’s office where she sat staring at something on her desk.

“How would you feel if you found a dead body with your face?” Aiden asked just as Shep walked in. “Got anything?”

Shep sighed and shook her head. “Just news that the man’s poor mother was rushed to hospital a few moments ago.”

“You’d better go tell the boss. She’ll want to know.”

Shep nodded and stared across the room at Vera. She knew this case was taking a toll on the woman, though Vera hadn’t said anything. It would stress anyone to have a murder victim with their face. Billy had asked her to keep an eye on Vera which led her to believe this was bothering the woman even more than she was letting on.

Shep had known the minute she saw Hellen’s face after walking into the bedroom just exactly why Vera had asked her to keep what she saw under her hat. Being in the military she’d seen a lot of blood and gore, and terrible things, but this…this wasn’t war. This was just two people who had been enjoying a bit of love making when someone came in and robbed them of their lives. She still felt ill when she thought of what Billy had told them, that the woman had watched her husband be brutally murdered. Billy had discovered that the woman had been held back by the neck, probably an arm wrapped around. They’d gotten lucky that skin had been found under her nails which meant that she’d at least tried to fight and had clawed her attacker. But it hadn’t done her any good. It might have even angered the man more and made him do more to her husband than he’d intended.

Who was she kidding? This wasn’t a planned attack. Or at least, not planned down to the very minute. The pattern of the wounds, the amount, all of it led them to it just being a reaction to what he’d walked in on. The murder might have been planned, sort of an _if I can’t have her, neither can he_ sort of thing, but the murderer couldn’t have known he’d find them in bed making love. He’d more than likely intended to murder her and leave her for the husband to find to make him suffer for taking or keeping Hellen away.

Shaking her head, she made her way to Vera’s office. Making sure to close the door behind her, she waited for her boss to notice her. “Boss?”

“Hmm?” Vera murmured then looked up. “Oh, Shep. What is it?”

“I just received word that Martin’s mother was taken to hospital after collapsing.”

Vera rubbed a hand over her face. “I was afraid that would happen. Poor old dear.”

“The man, Mr. Dern, he said that he’d been in contact with the daughter. It seems that she called when she couldn’t reach either of her parents. Her and her husband were waiting at the airport for Martin to show up as he’d promised to pick them up. They’ve just come back from their honeymoon.”

Her eyes sliding shut, Vera shook her head. “Did Mr. Dern tell them?”

“No, Anne did just before she collapsed.”

“That’s a lousy end to a wedding trip.”

Shep nodded then sat down and looked at her boss. “Ma’am,” she whispered to get Vera’s attention.

“What?”

“I’m not nosing about, but are you alright? Billy asked me to check on you. He’s worried.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “Worrier, that man.”

“I’d say he cares about you. He’s known you longer than any of us has. Give him a call and get me off the hook?”

Vera chuckled at the look Shep was giving her. She should be upset with the younger woman for being nosey, but she’d gotten herself off by using Billy. Smart woman. “Fine, then. Go on. I’ll see to Billy.”

“Do you want me to go to the hospital?”

“No, Pet. I’ll go after I’ve talked to Billy.”

“Didn’t you looking like her daughter-in-law upset her?”

“I had thought about that, and had nearly decided to send you to tell her, but it had to be me. I found them.” Vera looked down at her hands. “The poor dear actually told me that it helped. I suppose she feels that I’ll do a good job investigating since Hellen looks like me.”

“But what about the daughter? Will it upset her?”

“I don’t know, Pet, but if anyone is going to talk to Anne, it needs to be me.” Vera looked up and smiled tiredly at Shep. “Go on now. Talk to their neighbors and see if there’s been any sort of disturbance in the last few months. Someone had to have seen something. Get Kenny to,” she shook her head. “No, you go to the clubs and make the employees talk. Have Kenny go talk to the neighbors.”

Shep smirked. “You don’t think Kenny would be a bit distracted at the clubs, do you?”

Vera huffed at that and made a shooing motion with her hands. “Get out of here or I’ll tell Billy you aren’t doing your job.”

Shep sighed. “How did you know?”

“I know Billy. Worrier, remember?”

 

~*~

 

Billy looked up when he heard the door to the morgue open. He wasn’t really surprised to see Vera down here, but he was surprised by how tired she looked. Holding out his hand, he took hers and tugged her toward his office, pushing her down in a chair before sitting on his desk in front of her.

“Vera, you aren’t sleeping,” he dove right in, no sense letting her try to deny things.

Vera scowled at him. “You’d be wrong there, Billy.”

“You look like hell.”

She rolled her eyes. “That does a lot for a woman’s ego.”

Frowning at her, Billy knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. “Vera, you’re a beautiful woman, no matter that you don’t wear makeup or have your hair in some fancy do. You have dark circles under your eyes that aren’t usually there. I know this case is bothering you. Hell, I’d be handling it far worse than you if I’d found a dead body that looked exactly like me.”

“Well, the body doesn’t look exactly like mine. She has a figure.”

“Stop. I know what you’re doing.” Tugging gently at her hand to get her to look up at him, Billy held her gaze. “Tell me. You know you can trust me. We’ve known each other too long, Vera.”

Biting her lip, Vera studied her friend. She knew she could trust him, why else would she have nearly pleaded with him to work this case? But if she told him, would he think her as mad as she was beginning to think she was?

“You say I’m wrong about you not sleeping,” he started for her, trying to encourage her to talk.

“I’m trying to sleep, but…”

“What is it?”

Backing out of telling him, Vera sighed and shook her head. “Just this case. We’re not having much luck finding any clues. The best that we have are the shoe print and the skin from under her nails, but what good do they do when we have no suspects?”

Billy knew Vera wasn’t telling him the truth, but he let it slide, not wanting to push her because he knew she’d clam up and never talk to him. “I’ve found all that I can. Right now it’s just a matter of cleaning them up so the family can see them to formerly identify them.”

“Can you make sure the sheet stays over their necks? I don’t want the daughter seeing that.”

“I can. I’ll do my best to make Martin and Hellen look less brutalized.”

Vera nodded then stood. “Thank you, Billy.”

Billy stood and squeezed Vera’s hand. “I’m your friend, Vera,” he whispered then watched her go. His friend was troubled, he could see it hidden in the depths of her dark eyes. He knew she had nearly confessed what was really bothering her, but something had held her back.

“What’s going on?” he whispered as he lost sight of her through the doors. The strongest woman he knew was slowly crumbling before his very eyes and pretending like nothing was wrong. He suspected she was having nightmares, who could blame her? He knew if he’d walked into a scene like she had, and found himself staring down into his own face, he’d be a walking nutter.

Of course, he was having his own issues with this case. It was hard to see his friend’s face on his table, in this sterile environment, her eyes closed, face froze in a look of horror. Every time he had to look at the victim and her husband, the more he hoped the murderer wound up being killed fleeing arrest. He’d seen some gruesome murders in his time, and when he learned the reason for the murder, he could half way reason it out in his mind. This time, he shook his head. No matter how hard he tried, nothing he could come up with was fathomable for this sort of violence. Murdering a couple in the throws of passion, well he’d actually had a case like that before, but they’d both been shot and weren’t well…anyway, it wasn’t like this.

Then his mind wandered back to Vera.

He might just have to call in some help if she didn’t tell him what was wrong soon because what she’d told him just now was maybe only a facsimile of the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

“Anne, love, I have a question to ask but I don’t want to upset you.” Vera whispered as she patted the older woman’s hand.

Anne smiled as she lifted her hand and cupped Vera’s cheek. “So much like her, even her voice.”

“I know, Love, and I’m sorry if it upsets you.”

Anne shook her head. “It doesn’t. What did you want to ask?”

“Was Hellen seeing a therapist of some sort?”

Anne nodded. “A sex therapist. The both of them had several sessions with her, but they’d finished their time with her. Everything was good between them.”

“Can you tell me the therapist’s name?”

“Lana. Her number’s at home. Have Harry get it for you.”

“Harry?”

“Mr. Dern.”

“Oh.” Vera nodded. “Thanks, Love. I’ll let you rest.”

Gripping Vera’s hand when she stood up, Anne held her gaze. “Please. Find the person. Martin was…” her voice broke and tears rolled down her weathered cheeks.

“I promise.” Vera whispered as she laid Anne’s hand back on the bed. She could feel her heart breaking at the sight of the woman’s tears and could feel her own eyes watering as she turned to leave the room. Meeting the man she now knew was Harry, and not just Mr. Dern, she rested a hand on his arm. “Go to her.”

Harry stared at Vera. “It’s uncanny, it is. You’ll find the man that murdered my Anne’s Marty?”

“I promised, Mr. Dern. I promised.”

“It’s Harry.”

“Harry.” Vera smiled and watched the man disappear into Anne’s room. She hadn’t bumped into the daughter when she’d come in, but as she turned around, she came face to face with a dark haired young woman that turned white as a sheet. “I’m sorry,” she whispered when the young woman collapsed back against what Vera assumed was her husband.

“You look and sound like Mum.”

“I know, Love, and I’m sorry to upset you.”

“Are you why Nanna collapsed?”

“No, Love. Anne has told me that it helps her.”

“Because she thinks you’ll do a better job.”

“Probably so. I’ve promised her, and I’ll promise you. I **will** find the man responsible for murdering your parents. If there’s anything you think of that could help, call me.” Vera told the young woman as she handed her a card with her name and numbers.

“How am I going to tell me brother?”

“I don’t know, Pet. Maybe ask that nice young fella behind you to help.”

“I will, Ma’am,” the young man in question whispered as he squeezed his wife’s shoulders.

“That’s a good lad.” Vera whispered then turned and walked away, her poor breaking heart not able to stand anymore of the nearly breath taking grief pouring off the young woman she still didn’t know the name of. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed it. Had Shep told her and she just didn’t hear? She shook her head. No, she wasn’t that far gone, yet.

Climbing into the Land Rover, she frowned when she realized she’d forgotten to ask Harry for the therapist’s number. Cursing as she slapped a hand against the steering wheel, she climbed back out of the vehicle and made her way once again into the hospital to bother the poor souls who were grieving and confused.

 

~*~

 

“Martin and Hellen have been murdered?”

“Yes, Pet. I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to take it, but I need help. Was there another man?”

“I can’t really…” Lana started but Vera held up her hand.

“They’re dead, Pet. They won’t know or care, and if there’s anything you know that can help me, I need you to tell me. I’ve promised their family that I would find who did this, but I can’t do that without help from those that knew them.”

“Hellen and Martin came to me because they needed help, well, mostly it was Hellen that needed help. She was confused.” Lana shook her head. “Yes, there was another man. She told me his name was Michael. She said that he was a handy man they’d hired to do some work about their place. That’s all I know.”

Vera nodded and stood up, a bowl on the table catching her eye. Looking closer, she blinked in surprise. It was the very same bowl full of stones she’d seen in her dream.

“DCI Stanhope?” Lana asked when she noticed the older woman staring at the stones.

Vera shook herself out of her stunned stare and looked up. “Sorry, Pet. Lost in thought.”

Lana nodded. “I can’t believe how much you look and sound like Hellen.”

“That’s what I keep hearing. I dare say she was more a lady than I am.”

“If by that you mean more beautiful, don’t sell yourself short.” Lana smiled at the skeptical look she received. “What? It’s part of my job.”

“I’m not a patient in need of sex therapy.”

Lana chuckled at that. “Hmm.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “I’m going now. If you think of anything else, call me.”

Lana took the offered card and nodded. “Good luck. Oh, how is Anne? She must be devastated.”

“She’s heart broken, but she’s trusted me to find the killer, and I’ve promised I would.”

 

~*~

 

“Alright you lot. What have you found out?” Vera addressed her team.

“Martin wasn’t as good as he’s been made out to be.” Shep piped up.

“Oh?”

Shep nodded. “Met his lover…the mother of his seven year old son.”

Vera blinked in surprise at that. “She work at the club?”

“Yes.”

“How long has **that** been going on?”

“According to her, it hasn’t been since before the boy was born. Evidently she wanted him to leave Hellen and be with her and the baby. She said that everyone knew that Hellen and Martin were just living together as nothing more than friends.”

“Oh well that makes it alright, then.” Vera rolled her eyes. “Well obviously she didn’t know that things had changed. Did she give you anything else?”

“Just that a few months back, Hellen came to the club and had no clue it had been changed into a lap dancing club. She was very angry and stormed out with Martin right behind her.”

“Well that doesn’t give us much.” Vera shrugged. “Except more reason for why they were seeing a therapist.”

“The neighbors didn’t know anything except that they’d seen a workman’s truck coming and going.” Kenny piped up with his information.

“And we know from the therapist that there was a handyman about. Anyone actually see the man?”

Kenny shook his head. “No. None of them were really that familiar with Martin or Hellen. I suppose they thought of them as outsiders.”

“They’ve lived there ten years.”

“That’s the attitude I got from them anyway.”

Vera shook her head, her fingers tugging at her hair. “I have a name for the handyman, but so far nothing has come up to show where he was paid. No business card has shown up. Where did they find this guy? Was Hellen lying about who he was? Kenny, go back to the neighbors that saw the truck and ask them if there was a business name on the truck somewhere.”

“I asked, but none of them saw anything. Most of them couldn’t even remember the color.”

“Go back. Push them to remember. This is all we have to go on at the moment.”

“First thing in the morning, Ma’am.”

“First thing.” Vera agreed. “Now go on home.”

Shep waited until the others were gone then followed Vera into her office. “How did you come up with the therapist?”

“Anne told me.” Vera answered. She wasn’t about to admit that she’d asked Anne and got the information that way. Admitting that would lead to Shep asking how Vera had come up with the idea of a therapist in the first place and no way was she going to tell the young woman that it had been a dream.

Shep nodded, not really satisfied with the answer but not ready to push buttons this late at night trying to get to the real truth.   Maybe Billy could get answers. “You going home? Maybe get some rest yourself?”

“Go on. I’ll be fine. One worrier about is plenty.”

Shep shook her head. “Goodnight, Ma’am.”

“Goodnight, Shep.” Vera waited for Shep to disappear from sight before pulling her bottle of drink out of the drawer. Maybe if she had a few she would be able to sleep. She frowned then put the bottle back. If she was going to drink, she might as well do it at home. No sense falling asleep here and taking a chance on someone catching her having one of her dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

_“Why don’t you just admit it?”_

_“Admit what? I am not having an affair.”_

_“Nothing will happen. I’m not going to divorce you. You can get it off your chest. Why can’t you just be honest? Then at least we can have a clean start.”_

_“When you told me you’d booked for us to see a therapist, I went into the first travel agent I came across and paid for a holiday in Bali. Now that’s what I call a clean start.”_

_“We have unresolved issues.”_

_“Is that something else she’s said?”_

_“No, it’s what I’m saying.”_

_“Well for the life of me, I can’t think of what they are.”_

_“I’m not stupid, Martin.”_

_“And I’m not treating you like you are!”_

_Hellen felt like tearing the salt grinder apart. “Do you want scrambled eggs?”_

_“Is this because I went into work on the night of Hannah’s wedding?”_

_Hellen kept beating the eggs, not sure of what to say. Was it because of that?_

_“I had to go in because I thought we were going away and you know I’ve been complaining of my manager.” Martin moved closer. “I swear that’s the truth. Do you believe me? Hellen, love, I just want you, us, to be happy.”_

_“I don’t know how to be,” she admitted._

_Martin moved behind her. “Well at least let me try.”_

_Hellen leaned back against Martin, his hands on her shoulders. It had been a long time since he’d touched her like this without her wincing, but she couldn’t help wondering what he wanted._

_“Maybe I can get a refund on the holiday? Maybe we can go late?”_

_“I have an appointment with Lana tomorrow.”_

_“We don’t need some therapist. We just have to get us right…we can do that on our own.”_

_“We do need her. I need her.”_

_“Well let’s go away for a couple of days.”_

_“No. I have to get this straightened out. I’d only feel like…”_

_“What? Like what?”_

_“Like something is expected of me because you took me on holiday. I can’t, Martin. I can’t.”_

Vera shook her head as she came awake. “For the love of,” she muttered. “You’re losing it, old girl.” After this she was sure what was happening wasn’t just her dreaming. No way could her dodgy old mind come up with that sort of mess. Nothing added up to how the couple had been found. Why was she seeing this?

Looking down at the table, she frowned at the face staring back at her from the picture. “What are you trying to tell me?” Of course the question went unanswered and Vera felt a fool for talking to a photo, but it was no more foolish than believe that she was seeing events in Hellen’s life through Hellen’s eyes.

Pouring herself another drink, she knocked it back in one gulp then growled when the phone rang. “Billy,” she mumbled. “Why aren’t you asleep?” she asked then shook her head at herself. When was she going to learn to stop asking leading questions? As she listened to his too detailed reason why he was awake, she felt like kicking herself. “Billy! I don’t need details. Why are you calling me if you’re that, hmm, busy?” Shaking her head at his reason, Vera poured more whiskey into her glass. “Billy, go back to your chippy and leave me be. Don’t fuss so over this old broad. I’m fine.”

Pushing herself up from the table, Vera stuffed her mobile in the pocket of her robe as she made her way through to her bedroom, deciding that she might as well be comfortable while she dreams.

She really needed to stop calling them dreams. But what else should she call them? They weren’t memories, at least, not hers. And she still wasn’t fully convinced they were Hellen’s.

Settling into her bed, Vera turned off the lamp and laid staring up at the dark ceiling, her eyes growing heavy. Days of not sleeping well were catching up with her, hopefully the drink would make her sleep so deeply that she wouldn’t dream.

_“Hellen.”_

_“Oh Martin, let it alone,” she pleaded._

_Martin sighed as he watched his wife fidgeting about the kitchen. “I just want to apologize.”_

_“Whatever for?”_

_“For not making you happy.”_

_Hellen felt tears burn her eyes. “It isn’t your fault, really. I just don’t know how.”_

_“But didn’t we used to have fun? Didn’t we used to be happy?”_

_“We did, but truly happy? If we had been,” she looked away, tears finally rolling down her cheeks. “I’m trying, Marty.”_

_“You haven’t called me that in years.”_

_Turning back to look up at her husband, Hellen reached out and caressed his face. “I know.”_

_Martin caught her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “I love you, Hellen.”_

_Hellen pulled away and rushed from the room. Her heart hurt with the achingly sweet way her husband had spoken to her just now, but she couldn’t give in. If she didn’t keep seeing Lana, who she was convinced could help her, she would never fix herself._

_She was so confused. Lana had asked her if she’d ever had an orgasm, if she knew what one was. She’d admitted that she knew what it was, but that she’d never experienced one herself. She hadn’t even known how. Asking Lana had been very embarrassing, but she didn’t want to be like Anne. She didn’t want to live her life not knowing what it was to enjoy being with a man until she was nearly too old to have the experience. She shivered thinking about what Lana had wanted her to do._

_Look at herself…all of herself. She knew she had certain bits, didn’t all women? What was the point of looking at herself? She touched herself when she bathed, who didn’t?, but that wasn’t the kind of touching Lana had meant. Masturbating. Just thinking the word made her feel dirty._

_“But if you don’t learn to enjoy your body…” she murmured, feeling the ache in her heart once more. How could you yearn for something, yet dislike it at the same time?_

Vera tossed about, so lost in the dream, that she couldn’t seem to wake herself up. She felt the confusion, the heart break, as if she was living what she was dreaming. Finally waking up, she lifted a hand to her face, stunned to feel tears on her cheeks. Turning over and wiggling further down in the bed, she let herself drift off again, the fatigue too strong to fight.

Losing herself in the dream again, Vera found herself staring at her nude form in the mirror. Her arms raised over her head, she stared at the way her breasts lifted. It was hard not to be critical, but that wasn’t what Lana had told her to do this for.

Opening her eyes, Vera sat up. “What the bloody hell?” she hissed. No, no more. She wasn’t going to sleep anymore tonight. That was too much! Too much! Looking at another woman’s body, that mirrored hers a few years ago, good heaven above! She was still trembling as though she had really been looking at herself in the mirror.

Shaking it off as best she could, Vera stood up and went into the other room to grab a book. She wasn’t one to read, at least not anymore, but what else was there to do? Maybe if she stuck her nose in a book it would take her mind away from all of this mess.

Her eyes popped wide open when she ran her fingers over the binding of a book she had no idea she owned. “ ** _Lady Chatterley’s Lover_**? Vera, where the bleedin’ heck did you get this?” she hissed at herself as she pulled the book from the shelf. She knew it wasn’t her father’s. Hector hadn’t ever read anything that didn’t pertain in some way to birds, raptors in particular.

She shrugged. Why the hell not? Maybe reading about some fictional woman’s sex life would get her mind out of Hellen’s sex life. At least she wouldn’t be living what was happening as she read it.

Of course she didn’t count on the book putting her to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hellen felt nervous as she lit the candles about the bathroom, the sensual smell of her bubble bath filling her nose and tempting her senses. Finished, she turned to the tub and let her robe slide off her body before carefully lowering herself into the steaming water._

_Taking a deep breath, she lifted the book and began to read the passage that had aroused her the most. Propping the book up, she closed her eyes as her hand slid down her thigh, dipping below the water._

_Hellen blinked as she came out of her memory and looked across at her therapist. “Maybe it had summat to do with being in the bath, but it didn’t feel so dirty. I know it’s not, but,” Hellen shrugged. “I can’t help how I feel. It still feels wrong.”_

_“Did anyone ever tell you it was dirty or wrong? Maybe at your convent school? Or maybe your mom or dad?”_

_Hellen’s hands fidgeted in her lap. “I don’t remember.”_

_“What was your first sexual experience? It doesn’t have to be intercourse. Just a kiss maybe? The first time someone touched you. Do you remember?”_

_“I was fourteen and George Brandon kissed me outside the flower shop.”_

_“Was it good?”_

_“Mmm, yeah. I was glad someone fancied me.”_

_“Why wouldn’t someone fancy you?”_

_Hellen shrugged. “I always felt kind of,” she bit her lip, a memory she’d suppressed coming back to her._

_“Kind of what?” Lana asked gently._

_“I was twelve and with me sisters in the park tossing a ball about. The ball flew off into the bushes and no one else wanted to go after it, so I did.” She fidgeted with her hands and crossed her legs. “A man grabbed me before I could get the ball. His hand,” her voice cracked. “He put his hand between me legs. I screamed and he ran off. I had to have an examination and this police woman,” she shook her head. “Me mother only cared that I was still a virgin. She told me never to talk about it because it was dirty and filthy and no one would ever want me if I did.”_

_“And you felt soiled.”_

_Hellen nodded. “Always,” she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. “That’s always how I’ve felt.”_

The ringing of her phone startled Vera awake. She stared at it as she tried to calm herself down. The feelings from the dream were still washing over her, bringing back memories of her own that she’d rather not dredge up from her past. She hadn’t thought of that particular incident in decades, it had been a one off that never happened again, but it was enough that for the first time since she’d started having these dreams, she understood what Hellen had gone through.

“Hello?” she half shouted then scowled as she ended the call. “Wrong number and at this time of night!” she hissed then looked down at the book that had fallen to her lap. “Well some help you were.” She slammed the book shut and chucked it across the room.

Shaking her head she gave up and got up. “Might as well go get a swim in while it’s quiet.” Fussing around in her piled up things, she found her suit and an outfit to wear then went about readying herself to go out, putting things in a bag to take with her to get ready for work after she was finished at the club.

This was going to be another long day. Vera could feel herself starting to crack. No sleep could do that to a person.

 

~*~

 

Aiden stared at the TV and shook his head. “The boss isn’t going to like this,” he muttered as he shut it off and got up to finish getting ready, planning to be at work on time for a change. His ringing phone made him pause. “Hey Shep,” he greeted the caller. “Yeah, I saw it. How’d that slip by? Do we have a leak? She isn’t going to like this.” He listened to Shep’s concerns about their boss, all of which were the same ones he had, though he suspected that Shep knew more than she’d told any of them. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

Moving to his bedroom after ending the call, Aiden thought about Shep and how she seemed to be acting a bit protective of the boss. He suspected the woman knew more than she was letting on about what was going on with Vera, but he wasn’t going to bother her for details. He knew that Shep had seen the bodies, being the first on scene, and he knew that she was disturbed by what she’d seen. He knew that the couple had been making love, but that couldn’t possibly be what had bothered the DC. The blood wasn’t the problem, either. Shep was the least squeamish member of the team besides Vera.

It had to be the missing details that had been left out of all of the reports from Billy about the bodies. None of them, save Vera and Shep, had seen even photographs of the bodies from the scene, all they’d been allowed to see were the photos of the scene after the bodies had been removed. As for the couple, the only pictures they’d seen of them were ones from the home that they’d taken so they would have faces to remember that they were looking for people, not just victims and statistics.

No matter how hard he tried, Aiden couldn’t fathom what either woman could have seen that shook them, but it had to have been bad because Vera wasn’t sleeping, no matter how much she denied the fact and assured them of the opposite. Shep seemed to always be watching the boss and when she wasn’t doing that, she was hissing at Kenny any time he made some remark about the similarities between Hellen Kingsley and Vera.

Aiden shook his head. The man just couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut. None of the others on the team ever said anything, but they listened eagerly enough. He knew that the younger team members mostly thought Vera to be, well, ugly and a terrible shrew. He’d heard them whispering about her, how they could see why she was alone – a spinster. One had even said, “Why would a man look at that?” which had angered him, though he’d kept his mouth shut.

The woman could be harsh, that was true, but she didn’t deserve that sort of talk. He’d never met anyone, man or woman, that could think as fast as Vera Stanhope. She saw things that were overlooked and immediately started processing them in a way that he still didn’t understand. He’d found it frustrating when he first came to work here – that ah hah moment she’d have that would leave everyone else sitting and staring dumbly after her as she rushed out of her office, slinging her Mac around and stuffing her arms in the sleeves, shouting out orders as she disappeared from the incident room.

He rolled his eyes. She was also careless with herself. He still felt sick when he thought of her climbing up on the wall to talk a man down from killing himself. He hadn’t even been working with her that long and yet he’d felt a panic well inside when she’d stumbled and it looked as though she was going to plunge over the edge herself. Of course, he now knew that she hadn’t stumbled at all, that she’d tottered herself on purpose to get just the reaction out of the man as she’d received.

How she had known he would reach out to save her, Aiden still had no clue. But then again, he never knew how Vera knew the things she seemed to. He didn’t know her like his predecessor had, so he didn’t know her background, but he’d learned a bit just asking, though he knew that if he wanted to really learn about her, Billy Cartwright would be the one to ask. He also knew enough to know…he would get nothing out of the man that betrayed Vera’s privacy. There was more to that friendship that any of them knew, he was sure of it. He wasn’t about to go digging around to learn what because the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint Vera anymore than he had done on numerous occasions.

 

~*~

 

Billy carefully turned the sheet back, making sure to keep Hellen’s neck covered. He caressed her hair into a neater position, his heart hammering once again at the striking resemblance to his friend. “Don’t you worry,” he whispered as he caressed another strand of hair into place. “She’ll find who did this to you.” Moving to the other table, he turned the sheet covering Martin down, again making sure his neck was covered. He couldn’t cover the marks on the man’s face, those were impossible to hide, but he’d made sure to clean them and the man’s face and hair. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

He wasn’t one to talk to his so called patients, but this case had him whispering things to both of them as he processed their wounds and any evidence that had been left behind. He was having trouble sleeping at night, so he’d turned to what he always did, women. He knew that as much trouble as this was causing him, it was much worse for Vera. There was something that she refused to tell him, something that seemed to be haunting her.

Had something happened before she’d called him to the scene?

Had she seen something and not realized it?

What he’d seen on TV this morning, before coming to work, had angered him. How dare they! The murderer was still out there, and if he was as deranged as the crime scene made it seem he was, dear god above. Vera was in danger.

The realization struck him hard and he gripped the side of the table to steady himself. Finally in control, he moved to where he’d laid his phone down. Dialing her number, he waited for her to answer and frowned when he got nothing but her voice mail.

“Damn it!” he hissed then dialed Aiden’s number. “Aiden,” he practically shouted when the young man answered on the third ring. “Vera’s in danger. Those damn reporters this morning…the maniac knows she looks like the victim.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Where could she be?” Aiden asked Shep, having had no luck finding Vera since Billy had called him.

“I remember hearing bits of a conversation about a health club she belonged to. Maybe she still does and she went there?”

“A health club?” Aiden asked, his eyebrow raised skeptically. “No way.”

Shep chuckled slightly. “That’s what I heard. It’s a rather posh place. Maybe Kenny remembers the name.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “You ask him.”

Shaking her head, Shep called Kenny and quickly asked him if he remembered the name of the health club. Getting what she wanted without telling him why she was asking, she ended the call and looked at Aiden. “I’ve got it. Let’s go.”

Rushing out after her, Aiden hoped that they found Vera at the health club.

Of course, running into her as she rushed in and they rushed out…well, that worked just fine.

“Aiden! What the bloody…” Vera started then scowled up at the pair as both of them reached out to steady her and keep her from plummeting down the stairs.

“Ma’am.” Shep sighed. “We were worried.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “I’m a few bloody minutes late. It isn’t the first time.”

“Have you not see the telly at all this morning?” Shep asked as they followed her down the hall.

“No. I’ve been busy. What could possibly have been on the telly that had you worried about me?”

“Ma’am,” Aiden started then looked at Shep.

“Well, out with it!”

“The news, Ma’am.” Shep said, pointing to the TV they were passing.

Vera stopped and stared. “How did they,” she started then rubbed the bridge of her nose. “That’s bloody wonderful!”

“Billy’s worried you’re in danger.” Aiden told her.

“He worries too much.”

“But Ma’am.” Shep protested. “You look like the woman our killer was obviously,” she started then stopped.

Aiden frowned. “What? What haven’t you told us?” he demanded as he stepped in front of Vera.

Vera scrubbed a hand over her face. “Bloody hell, Shep.”

“Sorry, Ma’am, but maybe he needs to know now.”

“The woman had the word mine carved into her back.”

Aiden huffed, “And you didn’t think we needed to know that?!”

“No! I didn’t!” Vera scowled up at him. “No move out of the way, DS Healy.”

Shep took a step back. She’d heard Vera shout before, but this tone was a new one. Jerking her head when Aiden glanced at her, she hoped the man just let it drop.

“No.” Aiden stood his ground. “I’m your damn sergeant. I’ve let it go that we haven’t seen pictures of the bodies because I understood why you didn’t want us to. But this! Damn it all, Ma’am! How are we supposed to investigate without all the facts?”

“You have the facts! What does it matter that our killer carved mine into the poor woman’s back? You’ve done as much without that knowledge as you would have with it. And, you forget…Shep and I had that knowledge. Now I’m done defending myself. Move!”

Aiden had the good sense to let it drop this time and stepped out of the way. Turning he scowled at Shep. “You should have told me!”

“No,” she shook her head. “I shouldn’t have. She is my boss and as such I do what she tells me to do. She told me to keep what I saw in that room under my hat.”

“But you pushed her to tell me just now.”

“Yes, I did, but you were wrong to push her after she told you.” Shep sighed and rubbed her neck. “This case is bothering her, Aiden. Surely you’ve seen how haggard she looks. She isn’t sleeping. Can you imagine what it would be like to have looked down at a dead body and find your face staring back at you?”

“But she’s in danger now, Shep.” Aiden argued.

“She might be, but we can’t force her to do anything. Neither of us are Joe. Let me talk to Billy. He’s the only one that can push and possibly get results.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Joe could get away with pushing her into doing things. She probably hasn’t told you, but she has Angina. It was Joe’s nudging that finally got her to start trying to do what she’d been told to do by her doctors. Joe was the one she talked to when something was wrong.”

“But she’s confided in you. She let you see the bodies on scene.”

Shep nodded. “She did but only because I’m a woman. She tried to call you, Aiden, but you didn’t pick up. I don’t know if she’d have let you see if you’d been the one on scene, or not, but I do know you’d know a lot more if you had been than you do now.”

Aiden watched Shep walk away and frowned. What had she meant? Vera hadn’t called him. Even if she had, he’d have seen that he had a missed call and there hadn’t been, not from her or anyone else. He’d have noticed it the minute he picked up his phone and checked for messages.

 

~*~

 

“Billy!” Vera shouted as she stormed into the morgue. “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Billy frowned, no need asking her what she was talking about. He knew she would be angry at him, and he’d had a call from Shep just a few moments ago. “I’m looking out for a friend who seems hell bent on not taking care of herself!”

“Damn it all, Billy! I’m a big girl, I’ve been taking care of meself all me life!”

“Hang it all, Vera! Just because your blasted father didn’t bother to take care of you, doesn’t mean the rest of us that care about you are going to do the same!” Billy knew he’d more than likely crossed a line with that remark, but how else was he to get through to his stubborn friend? Damn ginger!

Vera stared at her friend. That had hurt, and not because it was a lie, but because it was the truth. Feeling her eyes tear up, she turned away and started to leave, stopping when Billy’s fingers wrapped around her wrist.

“I’m sorry, Vera. I know I hurt you with that. I don’t mean to hurt you. I only,” he sighed. “I’m worried about my friend.” Billy tugged at her hand to get her to look at him. “He’s still out there, Vera. He knows that you look like Hellen. I’m afraid that he’ll come after you. Won’t you at least take one of the team home with you? Let them sleep on the couch? Or me? I’ll sleep on the couch. We can drink ourselves to sleep,” he teased, though his eyes held no mirth only worry lurked in the hazel depths.

Vera squeezed the hand that held hers. “Always a worrier,” she whispered. “I’ll be fine, Billy. He might know that I look like her, but he doesn’t know where I live. Besides, this old girl has a few tricks up her sleeve around that old house.”

Billy sighed and shook his head. “You aren’t going to ask anyone for a bit of protection, are you?”

“No, Billy. I’ll be fine.” Squeezing his hand one more time, Vera let go and left, Billy’s sigh following her down the hall.

 

~*~

 

“Boss.” Aiden knocked on the open door as he stepped inside Vera’s office.

“Yes?”

“Shep said that you called me the other day before you called her.”

“I did but you didn’t pick up and I got the voice mail.”

“But my phone didn’t show a missed call.” Aiden frowned as he sat down. “Are you sure you called me?”

Vera huffed as she pulled out her phone and went into her call log. “There,” she held the phone up for him to see. “Your number. I did call you.”

“Why didn’t you call me out when you saw me here later?”

“No reason to.”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “That’s not like you. You normally would have had my head for not picking up. You didn’t call me out because you were actually glad I didn’t pick up. You were glad it was Shep. What are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding a bloody thing, damn it. There are just things a person’s team shouldn’t see, that’s all.”

“That makes no sense! We always see everything! How many times since I transferred here have you drug me to the morgue with you? This case? None. You won’t let me anywhere near there. Me or anyone else, well Shep, but she’s the only one.”

“DS Healy, stop pushing the issue. We’ve discussed this all before. You know what I want you to know, what you need to know. I don’t need you to know everything when I already do.” Vera glared across at him. “I could do this damn job on me own if it wouldn’t take so long.”

Aiden stood up and threw up his hands. “I give up!” he growled as he stormed out.

“Finally!” Vera shouted after him, scowling at Kenny when he looked up from his desk and gave her a questioning glance.

Kenny quickly turned back to what he was doing. Vera was in rare form and no amount of warning the kid seemed to stop him from continually poking the bear.

“Damn and blast the woman anyway.” Aiden grumbled as he plopped down at his desk. He’d worked with some macho, crazy, people before but none of them topped Vera.

“She’ll hear you.” Kenny whispered, hoping Vera was distracted enough not to hear him.

Aiden rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. “Have anything new, Kenny?” he finally asked.

“No. I went back and managed to talk to a couple of people that weren’t home when I covered the neighbors, but they told me the same thing. Red truck, that’s all. There’s still one neighbor that’s not been home. I’ve been told he’ll be back tomorrow, I’ll talk to him then. His house faces their drive so maybe he’ll have more information.”

Aiden nodded. “Let’s hope.”

Shep came in, a smile on her face. “I might have a lead,” she said as she headed to Vera’s office.

“Eh? What?” Vera asked as she looked up from the papers on her desk.

“The manager of the club here. Martin fired him and had him beat up.”

Vera raised her eyebrows. “Oh. That’s good, Shep. Name?”

“Leon Gregory. Shady character. He was running a bit on the side from the club. From what the new manager told me, some of the girls were having sex for money with some of the punters in the VIP rooms. Martin wasn’t too happy about that because that sort of thing could get him shut down.”

“Bring him in.”

“On it, Boss.” Shep told Vera as she turned and headed back out of the room.

Kenny made a face at her back and Aiden felt himself snickering. Shep seemed to always show them up, especially where this case was concerned. Then he scowled. Of course she did! She, unlike himself, had all of the facts.


	8. Chapter 8

_“I don’t think I’m ready…” Hellen started but Lana interrupted._

_“Let me finish.” She smiled at the couple. “Just touching, nothing else. And no touching the genitals or breasts.”_

_“What’s the point then?” Martin asked._

_Hellen rolled her eyes, then looked at Lana, hoping the woman would change her mind on this bit of homework._

_“The point is to touch and be touched and learn to enjoy it. It can be relaxing and arousing. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot about your partner with this exercise.”_

_“Whatever you say.” Martin shrugged. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”_

_Hellen sighed, “I’ll do me best.”_

_“Good.” Lana nodded, all the while wondering if she shouldn’t push Hellen to tell Martin what she’d remembered the other day about being assaulted. Seeing Hellen fidget, she realized that pushing her to reveal that, especially after the way she’d reacted to being asked if she’d ever told Martin, would be a terrible mistake at this point. Maybe later._

Vera shook her head and looked around, realizing that she’d dozed off in her chair at the table again. This was getting to be a nightly thing as each night she fought a losing battle to stay awake and not sleep in the hopes of avoiding more, well, hauntings. She’d come to the conclusion that no matter how many times she denied it, that was exactly what was happening.

Yawning as she stood and stretched, she shrugged her shoulders and made her way to her bedroom. If she was going to fall asleep anyway, she might as well toss about in her comfortable bed instead of sitting and growing stiff in that hard chair. She’d cracked her head on the table more times in the last week than she cared to think about. Of course, she’d dozed off at the table more times in this last week than she had ever done.

Settling down against her pillow, she sighed and let her eyes close, knowing that fighting sleep was useless.

_Martin smiled as he touched his wife’s shoulders and she jumped, scolding him for his cold hands. “Sorry, Love,” he whispered then blew on his hands while rubbing them together trying to warm them. Touching her once again, he marveled at how very soft her skin was. Had she always been this soft to touch? “You’re beautiful,” he whispered._

_“What?”_

_“Nothing. Just relax,” he told her as he continued to massage her shoulders then moved down her back a bit before leaning over and pressing tender kisses to her lower back, working his way down._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“She said hands or mouth.”_

_“We’re not having sex. Lana said that, too.”_

_“This is sex. Turn over.” Martin watched her turn over, glimpsing her breasts before she pulled her robe up to cover them. Tugging at it to pull it down, he frowned at her when she pulled it back up. Finding himself in a tug of war with his wife, Martin finally gave up and began to massage her legs under her robe, working his way down until suddenly she was moving away and sitting up. “What?”_

_“Your turn.”_

_Martin frowned. What had he done? Surely this wasn’t about the tug of war over her robe. Shrugging, he untied his robe then laid down, waiting for her to get comfortable._

Vera tossed about as images of the couple massaging and touching each other flitted through her dreams, the feelings Hellen had washing over her. Arousal, confusion, nervousness, too many things rattling around her brain. It’s no wonder the woman had been uncomfortable while her husband had been massaging her the first time.

_“Let me try you again, Love.” Martin whispered as he caressed a wayward curl behind her ear._

_Hellen nodded, feeling more relaxed this time than she had the first time. Laying down, she waited, sighing when Martin’s hands gently touched her. His hands were warm this time when he touched her, his movements more tender. Letting her eyes close, she lost herself in the feel of being touched. She had never been touched like this, never enjoyed being touched in anyway other than a hug and a kiss, and even those things had become uncomfortable to her in the last few years._

_Martin smiled when he heard a small moan slip from his wife’s lips as he moved his hand over the curve of her buttocks. Who knew she would enjoy her bottom being massaged more than anywhere he’d touched? Concentrating on that spot, he elicited more moans and found himself grinning like a fool because he was causing his wife to make noises he’d never heard her make before._

Opening her eyes, Vera took a deep breath. Holy hell. If she didn’t know better, if she were a teenager, she’d swear she was having a well…one of _those_ types of dreams. At least that’s what she felt like. Her body was tingling with sensations that she hadn’t felt herself and it was playing havoc with her senses.

What the bloody hell kind of haunting was this anyway?

Who haunts someone with memories such as these?

Every damn one of them seemed to turn into something sexual which in turn did all sorts to Vera’s body which hadn’t been touched sexually in too many years to think about.

Vera scowled as she turned over and slapped at her pillow. “This is ridiculous, Hellen! Do you hear me?” she yelled then groaned. She was officially loosing her mind now, yelling at a dead woman. “Of course she doesn’t hear you, daft old cow,” she grumbled at herself before closing her eyes, wondering what sort of scene she was going to find herself in this time.

_“So how did it go?” Lana asked the couple, watching as Martin smiled and reached out to clasp his hand around Hellen’s._

_Hellen nodded. “Okay, I suppose.”_

_“It was wonderful. She was wonderful. She’s so soft and smells gorgeous.”_

_Hellen blushed and looked down at her lap. “Martin,” she whispered._

_“She was enjoying it. She was moaning while I was massaging her bottom.”_

_“I was not.” Hellen denied._

_Lana chuckled at the couple. Hellen was clearly embarrassed by her reaction, but it was good to see that she’d enjoyed being touched considering the fact that she’d said in the beginning that she didn’t want Martin near her much less touching her. “Was there anything you didn’t like, Hellen?”_

_Hellen nodded. “When he touched the back of me thighs.”_

_“That’s when she turned over.”_

_“Why didn’t you like it?” Lana asked, watching Hellen fidget with the hem of her dress._

_Hellen shrugged. “I just…I have a bit of cellulite.”_

_Martin scoffed. “She has beautiful legs.”_

_“Hellen, what really bothered you?”_

_“I feel like he,” she started, her voice cracking. “What if he was comparing me to the young women he’s had affairs with? It makes me feel uncomfortable.”_

_Martin rolled his eyes. “What young women? There aren’t any young women. I wasn’t comparing you. I said you have beautiful legs and I meant it. I wouldn’t mind…” he started the sighed when Hellen pulled her hand away._

_“You wouldn’t mind what, Martin?” Lana asked, almost sure she knew what his answer would be._

_Martin shook his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. She wouldn’t believe me.”_

_“Hellen,” Lana started. “maybe if you tell him the truth, he’ll tell you the truth.”_

_Hellen looked up at Lana, her eyes wild as she shook her head. “I can’t.”_

_Martin blinked in surprise as he watched the color drain from his wife’s face. He’d never meant to hurt her, but maybe it was time. “I have had affairs,” he admitted quietly._

_Hellen closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I know,” she breathed._

_“It’s been years since the last one though, you have to believe me, Hellen. I love you. I want you.” Forcing her to let him hold her hand, he tugged gently. “Tell me what Lana wants you to.”_

_“I can’t, Martin. You said you love me,” her voice cracked as tears rolled down her cheeks. “But you won’t love me if I tell you the truth,” she finished the stood up and rushed from the room._

_Martin looked at Lana. “Tell me.”_

_“I can’t, Martin. She needs to. Go on. Go after her.”_

Vera was shaking when she woke, her face once again wet with tears. Wiping them away, she laid there staring at the ceiling, her heart breaking with the pain she’d felt from Hellen mixed with her own in sympathy for the fear the woman felt. Slowly drifting back to sleep, she saw flowers, hands fidgeting with…forget me nots?

_Hellen fingered the soft petals of the flowers, mindlessly plucking them until she heard a noise and looked up. Feeling her heart begin to pound, she turned away. “Go away, Martin.”_

_“No.” Martin whispered as he moved further into the garden. Kneeling in front of her, he clasped her fidgeting hands. “Tell me, Love. What is it?”_

_“You won’t love me anymore,” she whispered as she tried desperately to pull her hands from his._

_“Whatever it is, Love, it can’t possibly change the way I feel about you.” Martin caressed her hands trying to still their trembling. “Have you had an affair? Is that what this is about? I’d hardly have any right being angry about that.”_

_“Oh god, I wish that was it,” she cried. “Oh, please, Martin. Please let me go. Please,” she begged._

_Moving to sit beside her, Martin pulled Hellen against his chest, his arms wrapping as tightly as possible around her. “Tell me. It’s hurting you. Tell me.”_

_Clutching the lapel of his coat in her hand, Hellen finally managed to whisper the words she knew would rip her world apart. “I was dirty…soiled before I met you.”_

_Martin frowned. “What? Hellen, love, you aren’t making sense.”_

_“Me mother…she said it was filthy and that I shouldn’t tell because no man would ever want me.”_

_“Hellen, love, what are you saying? Did someone hurt you?” Martin lifted her chin so that she had to look at him. “Tell me. Did someone,” he swallowed. “Did your father hurt you?”_

_Shaking her head, Hellen swallowed down the bile that seemed to burn the back of her throat. “A man in the park. He was hiding in the bushes. His hand…” her voice broke and she had to swallow hard to keep from retching before managing to finish. “…between me legs.”_

_“Oh god.” Martin breathed as he pulled Hellen into his lap, holding her and weeping into her hair. “I’m so sorry, Love. So sorry.”_

_Hellen wrapped her arms around Martin’s neck and cradled his head in her hand. This wasn’t how she expected him to react. Her mother had said no one would want her if they knew the truth, but here her Marty was, weeping into her hair. “Marty?”_

_Martin looked up, his hand reaching up caress her face. “What, Love?”_

_“You don’t think me…” she started but stopped at the look on his face._

_“No. I don’t. I wouldn’t have then, either. Your mother was wrong to make you feel that way, stupid old cow.”_

_“But some men might have.”_

_“They might have, but they wouldn’t have loved you as much as I did and still do.”_

_“Are you really not having an affair now?”_

_“Really. It’s been years. I only had them because…”_

_“Because I wasn’t giving you anything in return. I’m sorry.”_

_“No, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t been a selfish bastard, I might have seen there was a reason why you never liked sex. You always liked being cuddled and kissed, I should have questioned why you didn’t like the other.”_

_“You couldn’t have known.” Hellen sighed as she let her head rest against his. “Take me inside and hold me by the fire? Maybe touch me like you did the other night?”_

_Martin smiled and kissed her tenderly. “I’ll do anything you want, Love. Maybe we should call Lana and let her know I’ve found you and that you’re okay.”_

“Oh god, Hellen. You’re breaking my heart.” Vera cried as she came awake finally giving up and getting up. Another early morning visit to the club was in order to work this all out. As she got up, she frowned. “What about the other man? How does he figure into this?”


	9. Chapter 9

Anne smiled when she saw Vera walk into the room. “Hello.”

“Hello, pet.” Vera smiled at the older woman.

Anne studied her visitor. “Well, sit down and tell me.”

“I have to ask some more questions. I hate to keep bothering you, but you’re the only one who would know. Your granddaughter hasn’t been here and your grandson is still out on business.”

“It’s alright. What is it?”

“Did your daughter-in-law have an affair with their handyman?”

Anne shook her head. “No. She was attracted to him, she confessed as much to me after she and Martin had finished with their sessions with Lana. She kissed him but that’s all there was. Why?”

“Lana mentioned that there was a man, but she wasn’t specific so I needed to know. What about Martin’s manager that he fired? Did you know anything about that?”

“Oh. I knew all about that.” Anne laughed. “But not because Martin told me. He and John were arguing about who should be the new manager and anyone in the house couldn’t help but hear.”

“John?”

“Me grandson.”

“Do you think the man would have been angry enough to want to kill Martin?”

“He might have been.” Anne shook her head. “Martin having him beat didn’t help matters. He should have just let him go and been done with it. My son was too much like his father some times.”

“Did he love Hellen? Really love her?”

“Yes. Oh, he had affairs, silly lout, but he loved her. It nearly broke his heart when she wouldn’t let him touch her anymore.”

“He told you?”

Anne cocked her head and studied Vera. “How did you know about it?”

“Lana.” Vera lied, not wanting to make the woman across from her think she was an mad woman.

Anne nodded, believing Vera’s lie. “Martin only had me to talk to. He was me only child and,” she sighed. “His father didn’t treat me very well. We shared a lot over the years so because he was who I talked to, when he needed someone he could trust, he talked to me. That never really changed when he got married, at least, not when it was something to do with the marriage itself and Hellen. He didn’t know who else to turn to but me.”

Reaching out to cover Anne’s hand, Vera smiled at the woman. “Thank you.”

“I’ll do anything to help you. I know you can’t bring me son and Hellen back, but I believe you can find the man who took them away.”

“I’m doing my best. My whole team is.”

 

~*~

 

“I need to know.” Vera looked across at Lana. “You told me there was another man. Did you mean that she had an affair with him?”

Lana shook her head. “I don’t know. She told me that she kissed him, but she never said anything else. The next time I saw them, Martin and Hellen were closer than they had been in the beginning. She’d finally told Martin the truth about something that happened to her when she was young and it seemed to have bridged the gap that had grown between them.”

“She was assaulted.”

Lana frowned. “How do you know that? Hellen hadn’t told anyone.”

“Never mind how I know, pet. We have two possible suspects and I needed clarification. Did Hellen ever mention a name for where they found their handyman? Was he his own boss? Did he work for a company? Anything?”

Lana shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. All she told me was how she’d felt when she first saw him and how his flirting with her made her feel. How kissing him had made her feel. I wish I could help more.”

Vera stood up and smiled down at the younger woman. “You’ve helped, pet.”

“I wish you’d tell me how you found out about Hellen’s secret.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Vera mumbled as she walked from the room leaving a very confused therapist staring at her retreating back.

 

~*~

 

Vera’s eyes widened when a young man stopped and stared at her just before she made it to the door of the morgue. His eyes were dark, the look on his face one she wasn’t sure about. “Yes?”

“You look like me mother.”

Realizing who she was looking at, Vera nodded. “I’m sorry, lad.”

“You sound like me mother. I didn’t believe Jenny.”

“Jenny?”

“Me sister. She said the person in charge of the case looked like our mum, but,” he shook his head. “Do you know anything yet?”

“We didn’t have a lot to go on, but we have some leads. Did you know your father’s manager at the club? The one he fired? A Leon Gregory.”

“I did. Right bastard he was.”

“Do you think he could have done this?”

“As angry as he was, he might have done.”

“Did you ever meet the handyman that had about the house?”

“Handyman?”

The young man’s reaction set off warning bells. “I was told there was a handyman doing some work about the place.”

“No. There was a Parks and Conservation man doing some work at the pond.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Sorry, no. I only know he was there because me father was messing about with the pond himself and fell in. Me mother was cleaning his head when I came in and asked what had happened. She told me about the Parks and Conservation man helping Dad out of the water.”

“Thank you, lad. Go on now. Why don’t you go visit your grandmother? I think seeing your handsome face would brighten her day.”

Reaching out, he laid his hand on Vera’s arm. “You’ll find out who did this?”

“I promise, lad. Go on now.” Vera watched him walk away and blessed the saints that she’d bumped into him. Pulling her mobile out, she called Aiden. “Listen, the handyman wasn’t a handyman. Hellen lied to the therapist about who he was. I’ve just seen the son and he said there wasn’t a handyman about…the man was with Parks and Conservation. Get someone over there and find out who they sent out to the Kingsley property.”

“Vera?” Billy asked as he pushed the door open. “Going to stand out here all day, Love?”

Vera scowled at the man for his cheek then followed him into the morgue. “I bumped into the son.”

“I saw. Learn anything?”

“I did.”

“Have you found the manager yet?”

“No. He seems to have disappeared.”

“And what did the son tell you? Does he think the manager could have done this?”

“He does.”

Billy cocked his head. “But you don’t.”

“I didn’t say that.” Vera denied.

Sighing, Billy gave up and tried another tact. “Have dinner with me tonight?”

Vera looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Vera rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Still trying to protect me?”

“Just have dinner with me.”

“Fine, but not out. Come to mine.”

“I’ll bring dinner if you’ll provide the drinks.”

“Alright.”

“Eight?”

“Eight-thirty.”

Billy nodded, pleased that he’d gotten her to agree. Now if only he could get her to agree to let him spend the night on her couch. Playing drunk should make that happen.

“Don’t even think about it, Billy.”

“What?”

“Playing drunk so you can stay on me couch.”

He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Damn woman.”

Vera simply smirked then turned and walked away, the grumbles of her friend following her out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

_Martin looked up at Hellen, his hands on her hips, a smile turning up the corner of his mouth. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered._

_Hellen blushed, still not sure about this or of what she was doing. “Martin, I…”_

_“It’s alright,” he whispered as he gently guided her movements. “That’s it. Slow and easy.”_

_“Mmm,” she hummed as her body begin to react to her movements._

_Skimming a hand up her side, Martin cupped a breast. “Gorgeous.”_

_Hellen shook her head. “You say the silliest things.”_

_Sitting up, Martin wrapped his arms around her. “Not silly. Truth, Love. It’s all truth.”_

_Nuzzling her face into his hand when he cupped her cheek, Hellen sighed as she settled against him, their bodies barely moving. “Is this what it’s supposed to be like?”_

_“Does it feel good?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Then yes, this is what it’s supposed to be like.”_

_“I missed out on so much.”_

_“No more thinking of it, Love. Only think about now, about us right now.”_

_Hellen sat up and smiled as she pushed against him to make him lay back against the pillows. Holding his gaze she began to move over him again, smiling at the groan that slipped from his lips._

Vera whimpered as she tried to wake up, but the dream or memory, had a hold on her and kept her in its grasp even as she continued to struggle. Seeing the shadow fall over the couple, feeling fear, she struggled again, grasping at her neck.

 

~*~

 

Billy raised his hand to knock but stopped at the sound of a blood curdling scream coming from the house. Turning the door knob, he found it unlocked and rushed inside, dropping the food as he ran toward where he heard another scream. He was sure he’d find Vera being attacked, but all he found was her sitting in a chair by the fire in the sitting room struggling against some unseen attacker.

“Vera!” he shouted as he grabbed her hands to keep her from clawing at her neck anymore than she already had. “Vera! It’s Billy. Wake up!” he shouted again, shaking her as he continued to say her name. “Wake up!”

Vera’s eyes opened and she stared at Billy as if she didn’t know him before blinking and sagging against him. “Billy,” she whispered.

“Yes,” he confirmed as he wrapped her trembling body in his arms, holding her tight against him. Dear god what the hell? “What happened?”

Vera shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about it. How could she tell her friend that she could still feel the arm wrapped around her neck? That she could smell the alcohol on the man’s breath as it whispered across her ear with his words?

Billy felt Vera’s fingers grasping at his coat and held her a bit tighter. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s happening. I’m your friend, you know you can trust me.”

“You’ll think me mad.”

“Vera, I would never think that.” Billy pushed her back and cupped her face. “Let me get you a drink, hell I need one too, and then you’ll tell me all about what I just walked into.”

“I’ll come with you.” Vera looked around. “Where’s the food?”

“I dropped it in my haste to get to you. I don’t know if we can salvage anything or not. You go on into the kitchen and get our drinks. I’ll go get the food.”

Nodding, she stood and took a deep breath, tottering a bit on wobbly legs. Grasping Billy’s arms, she looked up at him. “She’s haunting me, Billy,” she whispered.

Billy frowned as he stared down into his friend’s frightened eyes. He’d never seen Vera this way before. She was the most fearless person he’d ever met. “Who is?”

“Hellen. My dreams, Billy. I see,” she leaned against him again. “I see things like it’s me living them. That’s how I knew to ask about the therapist. But tonight,” she swallowed. “So afraid. I’ve never felt fear like that before.” Fisting her hands in the back of his coat, Vera whispered, “I watched Martin die. I could feel an arm around me neck, smell the alcohol on his breath…feel it against me ear.”

“Shh.” Billy soothed as he rubbed her back. So this was what had been bothering his friend and keeping her from sleep since this case came along. “I don’t think you’re mad, Vera. You’ve always had a way of getting inside the heads of the victims and the guilty parties.”

“But I’m not inside her head! She’s inside mine!”

Billy pushed Vera back and held her gaze. “Vera, this case is different than any other case you’ve ever had. You look like Hellen. You’ve been told you sound like her. You’re not mad.”

“I feel like I am. I can’t sleep, Billy. She’s there, always there.”

Hugging her to him again, Billy pressed a kiss to her head. “And I’m here.”

Vera smiled as she nodded against his chest. “So much for not telling you what’s going on. You got your way after all.”

Billy chuckled at the bit of cheek. “I suppose I did. Now come on. Go get the drinks. I’ll see what I can do about the food.”

 

~*~

 

Billy gently cleaned the blood from Vera’s neck where she’d scratched herself during her struggle. “There,” he breathed as he finished and patted her hand. “Now, pour us another drink and we’ll go settle on the couch and you’ll tell me all about everything.”

Vera sighed not having enough fight in her to argue with him anymore. “Fine then, but we’ll just bring the bottle.”

Knowing he should argue, Billy nodded instead, realizing that drinking was the only way Vera was going to keep calm and stay that way at least on this night. “I’m staying.”

Vera nodded. “I had no doubts. If you hadn’t walked in on me screaming me fool head off, I might have managed to get you to leave, but…”

“But I did, and you wouldn’t manage it.” Billy finished for her. Holding out his hand, he helped her up and together, with the bottle of whiskey, they made their way to the sitting room.

Vera poured herself a glass of the liquid, amber courage before settling beside Billy on the couch. How was she going to start this?

“Start by telling me what made you go in the house to begin with.” Billy smiled at her as he pulled her against him, quirking an eyebrow at her when she gave him a look. “I want you to feel comfortable and to remember I’m here. If you’re off over there, and you get lost in a memory or the retelling of what’s been going on, you might forget that you’re not alone.”

“Billy, I’m used to being on me own.”

“I know that. I also know that this is different than anything you’ve ever dealt with. You need a friend, Vera. Let me be that friend. You know I won’t tell anyone. Remember, I’m the one that threw them off when they were sniffing about wondering what the deal was with Stewart.”

“And made them think I’d been having a fling with him!”

“Better than the alternative,” he reminded her.

Vera nodded. “Peter,” she whispered and finally settled against Billy.

“Now, tell me. Why did you go to the house? And what were you doing out there anyway? It isn’t like you pass the place coming home.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve thought back over that day and I really don’t know why I was driving out there. As for why I went into the house,” she sighed. “I drove by, thinking about the few details I knew about the place, which are very few. Suddenly something told me I should go in but I ignored it and kept going, but it wouldn’t leave me be so I went back. Of course seeing the open door told me it was good thing because an open door on a place like that can only mean trouble.”

“And it was some kind of trouble.” Billy muttered. “Do you think Hellen was already haunting you then? Maybe she was what led you back?”

Vera shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I think it was just me. You know how I am. Always had a nose for trouble.”

Billy scoffed at that. “And always getting that nose into said trouble.”

Vera elbowed him for the comment. “It’s what makes me good at the job.”

“I don’t know about that. Your mind is what makes you good at your job.” Billy squeezed her then took a drink before prodding her to tell him more. “So? When do you think Hellen…” he shrugged. “…found you?”

“The minute I found her.” Vera answered. “You saw her. I felt like retching when I found myself looking down into my own eyes only to find them staring back at me cold and lifeless.” She shivered at the memory.

“Take a drink.” Billy encouraged her. “And the nightmares started, when?”

“That night. I thought I was just dreaming. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I finally admitted it wasn’t dreams.” She scowled. “I found myself yelling at her and asking her what kind of haunting sex dreams was.”

Billy sputtered at that and nearly joked on the drink he’d just taken. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Sex dreams? Vera, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Vera rolled her eyes and huffed. “You don’t think I haven’t thought that? Of course it doesn’t make sense. Except,” she sighed. “It does. Billy, think about how they were found. This whole case revolves around sex. I’m sure of it.”

“So you think she had an affair and it went wrong?”

Vera shook her head. “Not an affair, at least not that involved sex with another man. She did kiss another man, and probably enjoyed his flirtations, but she didn’t sleep with him. I had thought that was where the dreams were going, but then,” she bit her lip.

“What?”

Vera’s finger drew aimless patterns on Billy’s jean clad leg. “Then she let me see her confessing something that happened to her when she was a girl.”

“Vera?” Billy gently nudged her. “What happened to her?”

“She was sexually assaulted and her mother,” she swallowed then continued. “Her mother made her feel dirty. All she cared about was that Hellen was still a virgin. She didn’t even care that her child had been…” her voice trailed off and she felt Billy rubbing his hand up and down her arm as he pulled her closer.

“Some women shouldn’t be mothers,” was his only comment. “So you think because of that she wouldn’t have had an affair?”

Vera shook her head. “No. Hellen also took me to the day she told her husband the truth about the assault. It broke his heart, Billy, and it was clear how very much he loved her. She spent all their years of marriage not enjoying sex, and had even grown to dislike being touched by him or having him near, but after she told him the truth,” she shrugged. “It was like a whole new world opened up for her. I haven’t seen anything with the other man. I didn’t even see his face tonight. Just felt his arm around me neck as he…” she shivered and shook her head.

“I know the rest from here.” Billy whispered. “Drink the rest of your whiskey then try to get some rest. I’ll be right here.”

“Thank you, Billy. I know…” she started then stopped when he squeezed her and tutted.

“None of that. You’ve been,” he shrugged. “You’ve been you. I would expect nothing less. Though it would be nice if you’d remember I’m your friend once in the while.” He winked at her when she looked up at him with a lopsided grin.

“I always remember, Billy. Why do you think I put up with your cheek on cases?”


	11. Chapter 11

_“Hellen, what’s that?” Martin asked as he pointed at the bouquet of flowers sitting on the kitchen table._

_“You didn’t send them?”_

_“No, Love. I know that your favorites are yellow roses. I would never send you lilies.”_

_Hellen looked up at her husband with a smile. “You remember?”_

_Martin chuckled, “How could I forget?”_

_She blushed then laughed. “I was awful.”_

_“I deserved it. I’ve never seen anyone sneeze so much.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You aren’t sneezing now.”_

_“I know. Maybe I grew out of the allergy. I still hate lilies.”_

_Pressing a kiss to her head, Martin grabbed the bouquet out of the vase. “I’ll take care of these. We’ll keep the vase.”_

_Hellen stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Marty.”_

_“You’re welcome, Love.”_

_“Oh, and take this too.” She handed him the card that had come with the flowers._

_Martin read the words then looked up at his wife. “Hmm. Do you think we should keep this and tell the police?”_

_Hellen shook her head. “No. I think I might know who it is. I’ll explain when you come back in.”_

Vera yawned as she woke up, sighing as she looked about and realized that she’d fallen asleep at her desk. Looking at the clock, she frowned. “One o’clock in the morning. Hell of a time to be going home,” she grumbled as she stood up, groaning when her back and hips popped. At least the haunting hadn’t been one to make her scream. “You giving me hints again, Hellen?” she murmured as she gathered her coat.

“What was that, Ma’am?”

Vera jumped and looked up. “Aiden? What are you doing here?”

“Stayed to do some work. Fell asleep at me desk.”

“Well go home, pet.”

“And you?”

She tugged on her coat and slapped on her hat. “I’m going that way myself.”

Aiden nodded and followed her out. He’d never tell her that he hadn’t stayed to work, that he’d actually came back when he realized she was still there. He’d found her asleep at her desk so he’d stayed and dozed at his own. He knew something was going on with his boss, though he was sure he would never get her to tell him what it was. He knew she was safe here at the station, but he still felt better being there since she wouldn’t let any of them stay at her home with her to make sure she was safe there. He’d also never tell her that Shep had come back as well, but had left when she’d seen that he was there.

Maybe they should make a plan between them to watch the boss, whether she liked it or not. Bloody stubborn woman. He rolled his eyes. Like they could get away with that. Vera would know she was being watched and call them out and there they’d be in her bad books.

“Aiden, are you listening to me?” Vera snapped, wanting very badly to slap the young man upside his head. She knew what he’d been doing, she wasn’t as daft as he seemed to think she was. The man hadn’t stayed to work, he’d come back because she was still there. She was sure he was busy plotting how he could follow her and protect her without her knowing it, as if that would ever happen.

“Sorry, Boss. What is it?”

“I said, don’t think for one minute I believed your story.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. Damn woman. “Fine. No, I didn’t stay to work. I came back and found you were still here so I stayed.”

She huffed. “I’m safe at the station, Aiden. I’m safe at home. I’m not incapable of taking care of me self.”

“You keep saying that, but Boss, this man isn’t a small man. He can’t have been to have murdered the two of them without much of a fight.”

“Are you saying because I’m short, I can’t see to me self against a large assailant?”

“Yes, damn it! I am!” Aiden yelled as he raised his arms in frustration then crossed them in front of his chest.

Vera shook her head. “I’m going home. Don’t you dare follow me or I’ll give you a merry chase and have you off where you’ll never find your way back, map on your phone or not.”

“Fine.” Aiden huffed and watched her walk the rest of the way to her Land Rover. Taking out his phone, he sent a text to Shep. _She’s leaving. Your turn._

_~*~_

Vera rolled her eyes when she opened the door and found Billy standing on the other side. “I’m not going to be rid of you people, am I?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t you?” she asked, an eyebrow quirked as she glared at him. “So who was it? Aiden or Shep?”

Billy shook his head. “How did you know?”

“Billy.” Vera shook her head. “Aiden came back to the station and stayed while I was asleep. I know that he set Shep on me tail. I know she followed me part of the way home.”

“You’re too damn smart for your own good.” Billy growled. “Fine then. It was Shep. She sent me a text when you were half way home so that you wouldn’t be here for long by yourself.” Reaching out and touching her arm, he stared down at her. “They’re as worried as I am about your safety. Aiden is worried because he knows you’re hiding something and Shep is worried because she _knows_ what you’re hiding. She saw what that man did, Vera. Imagine what’s going through her mind.”

“It’s late, Billy, and I’m too tired to argue anymore. You can sleep on the couch.”

“That’s all I ask.” Billy smiled at her and kissed her head.

“Would you stop that? I’m not a child.” Vera groused, covering the fact that she actually liked when he did that. It made her feel cared for.

Shaking his head, Billy took off his coat. “Do I at least get a pillow and a blanket?”

“Needy bugger for a guest,” she muttered then gave him a sassy smirk when he chuckled.

Billy watched her walk away and sighed before pulling his phone out and letting Shep know he was staying, that she could go home. He’d tell the young woman later that Vera hadn’t realized she was outside watching the house. He figured Shep would enjoy that bit, knowing that she’d fooled the boss.

“Tell Shep I knew she was out there.” Vera told him as she came back into the room carrying a pillow and some blankets.

“For the love of…” Billy started then shook his head. Good thing he hadn’t said anything yet.

“Billy. Billy.” Vera tutted. “I’m going to bed now. I hope you don’t snore.”

“I didn’t snore the other night.” Billy looked at her.

“You weren’t laying down.” Vera countered.

“I promise I don’t snore.” Catching her around the wrist before she could get away, Billy smiled at her. “Remember, I’m here. If you have trouble sleeping, you can come out here and we’ll do what we did before.”

Vera reached up and patted his cheek. “I know. Thank you, Billy.”

“No need for thanks between friends, Vera.”

 

~*~

 

_“You kissed another man?” Martin asked as he stared at his wife in disbelief._

_“I did. That’s all, I swear it is. We were arguing so much, and he showed me attention and it made me feel…” Hellen shook her head. Looking back at Martin there were tears in her eyes. “I felt something for the first time. Arousal, I suppose. You’d gone in to work after Jenny’s wedding and I just knew it wasn’t work but to see your mistress.”_

_“But Hellen, I’ve told you I don’t have a mistress. I haven’t in a long time.”_

_“I know that now, but I didn’t then. It was just a kiss, and I told him I shouldn’t have done it.”_

_“You think he’s the one that sent the flowers?”_

_Hellen nodded. “He’s made comments the few times I’ve seen him since, but I ignored them.”_

_“Well, I’ll call and tell the Parks and Conservation office to send someone else.”_

_“I’m so sorry, Marty.” Hellen cried, grasping his lapels when he pulled her against his chest._

_“It’s alright, Love. No need to apologize. I have no right to be angry or ask for you to be sorry.”_

_Sliding a hand up around his neck, she pushed her fingers into his hair and pulled his head down. “Kiss me.”_

_Martin gladly did as she asked. Pulling out of the kiss, he caressed her hair behind her ear. “If you see him again, if he makes more comments or sends more flowers, you tell me. We’ll take it to the police.”_

_Hellen nodded. “I promise. Now, I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Tell me why you’re home so early. I thought you had meetings with manager candidates.”_

_“I missed me wife.” Martin winked at her, smiling when she blushed._

_“Marty.” Hellen scoffed. “Don’t be a daft bugger.”_

_“I’m not. I told them I missed me wife and I’d see them all tomorrow.”_

_Hellen laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”_

_“And I love you.”_

Vera opened her eyes and blinked up at Billy. “What is it?”

“You were murmuring in your sleep. Are you alright?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. I think she was trying to tell me that the Parks and Conservation man is the killer.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I was dreaming earlier at the station about flowers that Hellen thought her husband had sent.”

“But he hadn’t, I’m assuming.”

“Right. This time I saw the rest of the conversation. Hellen told Martin about kissing the P and C man. She thought it was him that sent the flowers because he’d made comments to her after the kiss. Martin told her they would tell the police if it happened again.”

Billy nodded. “Now if you just knew the man’s real name.”

Vera sighed as her eyes drifted closed again. “Mmm, would be nice. Maybe she’ll tell me.”

Billy watched Vera for a few moments, sure that she was going to be okay before he got up and went back to the couch. At least she hadn’t woke screaming. He still heard her from time to time if he let his mind wander. He often found himself pondering on a few things.

Was it Vera screaming?

Or was it Hellen?


	12. Chapter 12

Kenny frowned as he slammed the phone down. He’d talked to five different people and all of them told him the same thing.

No one had been to the Kingsley’s residence from Parks and Conservation in the last three years.

“Damn,” he growled.

“What is it?” Aiden asked as he turned to look at Kenny.

“That was the fifth person I’ve talked to at the P and C office.”

“And?”

“They’ve all said the same thing. No one has been to the Kingsley’s in the last three years.”

“Did they tell you who was there three years ago?”

“They did.” Kenny sighed and shook his head. “He died last year in a boating accident while on vacation.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Well there went that lead. If this man that’s calling himself Michael wasn’t with P and C, then who was he? Maybe the son was mistaken? Maybe the man working around his parent’s place really was a handyman.”

Kenny shrugged. “I don’t know. I do know that the boss lady isn’t going to be happy. We’re getting nowhere with this case.”

Aiden nodded. “I haven’t had any luck finding Leon Gregory, either. It’s like he disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“It doesn’t help that she’s not telling us everything.” Kenny grumbled and jerked his head in the direction of Vera’s office. “Where is she anyway?”

“She went to talk to the Kingsley’s son again.”

“She isn’t making sense lately. And she looks like hell.”

“Well what would you do if you suddenly found yourself looking at the body of someone that looks like you? From what the family has said, Vera even sounds like Mrs. Kingsley. That’s enough to make any one of us look like hell.” Aiden huffed. “I’d be worse than she is if I’d found my look alike murdered.”

“Yeah, I’d be a bit messed up over it, but I wouldn’t keep the truth from all of you. How are we supposed to work this case if we don’t know everything?”

“Like she told me, _she_ knows everything.”

Kenny rolled his eyes. “And I suppose she also told you she could do this without all of us.”

“She did.” Aiden nodded. “And, she could. You know it as well as any of us.”

“The only reason she works with a team is because a team gets things done faster so the families don’t have to wait so long.” Kenny finished what he’d heard Vera say several times over the years in her frustration with her team.

“Exactly.”

“So what have you and Shep been up to? I’ve seen you watching the boss.”

“While you’ve been going on about how much the boss looks like the victim and saying things she’d have your head for, we’ve been trying to get the stubborn woman to let us provide protection.”

Kenny frowned. “Just because the press said she looks like the victim?”

“Kenny, the nutter is still out there.”

“And he knows Vera isn’t the woman he killed. She’ll have _your_ head if she catches you following her about.”

“She’s already caught me _and_ Shep.” Aiden rolled his eyes. “You really don’t think he’ll come after her?”

“No. I don’t.”

“And if he does? Do you think she can take care of herself?”

Kenny chuckled at that. “You really are new around here. Does Shep think the same way?”

“She thinks Vera needs protection, so I guess so.”

“Well, believe me, the bloody woman can take care of herself.”

“You’ve seen her?”

“I’ve heard the stories.”

“But Kenny, this man…” Aiden started and stopped when Kenny laughed.

“Oh please tell me you didn’t tell her you think she’s too short.” Kenny snorted as he laughed harder at the look on Aiden’s face. “Oh you are green. It’s a wonder you still have your head.”

Aiden frowned and had the sudden urge to stick his tongue out like a child. “Well, damn it! There wasn’t much struggle from the victims so the man that murdered them must be a brute. And Shep knows just exactly how the couple were found, if she thinks Vera needs protection…” he shrugged.

“Why did Vera let Shep see? Has she said anything?”

“You’re asking that with the comments you’ve been making? And no, Shep hasn’t said anything. She’s following orders.”

Kenny shrugged and turned back to his desk. “Don’t you worry about the boss. She isn’t joking when she says she can take care of herself. Even if it is with nothing more than her sharp tongue.”

 

~*~

 

“Sorry for bothering you again, but I have a few questions.” Vera smiled at John.

“Anything I can do to help.”

“Did your parents ever say anything to you about your mother receiving flowers from the P and C man?” she asked then frowned when her mobile rang. “Sorry, pet,” she told the man then answered. “Kenny.” Listening to what he had to say, she frowned. “Well thanks for that.”

“Bad news?”

Vera nodded. “You could say that. Are you sure the man that was working here was from P and C?”

“Yes.” John nodded. “I saw his truck. It said Parks and Conservation on the doors.”

“The thing is, Pet…P and C said that no one from their office has been at your parents’ home. The last time someone was there was three years ago.”

John blinked in surprise. “But it wasn’t just the truck. That’s who Mum and Dad said he told them he was. Why would he help Dad the day he fell if he was just going to kill him?”

“I don’t know.” Vera tugged at her hair. “I’m struggling, Pet. The neighbors have been of no help. And now our P and C lead is gone. Can you think of anything that might help?”

“You asked if Mum and Dad had said anything about Mum receiving flowers. She didn’t say, but I saw her pick up a note that had been left in the garden by the…” he stopped to think what the flowers were.

Vera remembered back to an earlier dream. “Forget-me-nots?”

“Yes. That’s what Mum called the flowers. She was upset by whatever she read but I couldn’t get her to tell me what it was.”

“Did she keep the paper?”

“She put it in her pocket, but I don’t know what happened to it after that.”

“What was she wearing? Do you remember?” Vera listened as the young man described what his mother had been wearing. “Thank you. Now, do you remember anything else?”

“Just finding Mum crying in Dad’s arms one day out in the garden. He was holding her on his lap. I’ve never seen them like that before. I asked Dad later if Mum was okay and all I got was a mumbled reply. He had tears in his eyes.” John’s own eyes teared and he looked down at his hands. Looking back up at Vera with tears on his cheeks, he took a breath to calm himself. “I don’t understand why anyone would hurt them. I miss me mum.”

“Mama’s boy?” Vera asked gently.

John nodded. “Both of us were closer to Mum. We loved Dad, but he was gone a lot when we were growing up, and he was of the mind that it was the woman’s job to raise the kids.”

“Well it seems like your mum did a good job.”

“More with me sister.”

“Oh now, Pet. I see a good, upstanding young man sitting across from me. I think your mum must have been very proud of you.”

“I hope so.”

“Ask your grandmother. I bet she could tell you.” Vera winked at the young man. “She seems to know a lot about your parents that you and your sister don’t.”

“I don’t want to upset her. She misses Dad.”

“I don’t believe talking to her grandchildren about their father and mother will upset her. You’re all she has left of her son, John. Don’t stay away for fear of upsetting her because that _will_ upset her.”

John nodded. “That’s what Mum would have said.”

Vera felt her heart ache for the young man. “I’m sorry, Love. I’ll be going now. I need to go see if I can find that note.”

“Oh…” John murmured when Vera started to leave.

“Yes?” Vera paused in the door.

“If she gave the note to Dad, and they were worried about it, Dad would have put it in his desk. Probably in the middle drawer under the tray. You have to push down on the lock to get the tray to come up.”

“Thank you, Pet.” Vera smiled then turned and left, hoping that this time she’d catch a break. Pulling her mobile out, she dialed Aiden. “Meet me at the Kingsley’s. We have some searching to do.”


	13. Chapter 13

“What are we looking for?” Aiden asked as he walked into the room, expecting to find his boss. “Boss?”

“In here,” she called out.

Aiden followed her voice and found her in a large walk in closet. “My word,” he muttered.

Vera couldn’t help but chuckle. “Never seen a rich woman’s closet before?”

“Not one with a closet this size. It’s larger than my bedroom was in my old flat.”

“It’s larger than me bedroom is now.”

“So what are you doing in the closet?”

“I'm searching for the trousers Hellen was wearing the day she found a note out in her garden. John told me he’d seen her find the note and that she’d been upset by it.”

“And what does a note that upset her have to do with the case?”

“Because the woman was receiving flowers with cards that weren’t from her husband and because the man that wasn’t from P and C had made comments to her.”

Aiden was confused. “I still don’t understand. How do you know this?”

“Don’t ask questions. Go find the office and look about the desk. The son said the middle drawer has a tray that pops out if you push down on the lock.”

Aiden scowled at her back then turned and went to do as she’d told him. Grumbling as he went, he heard her yell that she’d heard him and he rolled his eyes. The woman had eyes in the back of her head and ears like a cat, he supposed. That, or she just simply knew they grumbled and made faces behind her back.

 

~*~

 

“Vera!” Aiden yelled as he stared down at the stack of notes he’d found hidden under the tray in the middle drawer of the desk, just where she’d described.

“What?” she huffed as she came into the room.

“Look.”

Moving over to the desk, Vera’s eyes widened as she stared down at the stack of notes, the words on the top one sending a chill down her spine. “My god,” she breathed. Pulling on a pair of gloves, she reached in and lifted the stack out, going through them and wondering why the couple hadn’t called the police. “This top one,” she muttered. “Call Kenny and have him check to see if there were any reports made about threats. These start off as sort of love letters, but you can tell that she’s ignoring him by the way they escalate into threats.”

Aiden did as he was told, hoping this would lead to them learning the name of the man that seemed to be a phantom. “Kenny said he’s on it. Do you think these have fingerprints from our killer on them?” Aiden held up the worst note of the lot.

“That’s what I’m hoping. I know that Hellen’s and Martin’s prints will be on them, but hopefully out of all of these we’ll get at least one good print that will tell us who our killer is.”

“This case is frustrating.”

“Very.”

“Since we know the man wasn’t with P and C, what if the name he gave the Kingsley’s wasn’t his real name?”

“I’ve thought of that. I’m really hoping that isn’t the case, but the way things have been going with this investigation,” she shrugged.

“You think it will be a false name.”

“I do.”

“So really the only hope we have is a print and him being in the system.”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever had a case this frustrating?”

“One. And I still don’t know who the killer was.”

Aiden looked at Vera, the tone of her voice making him curious about the case. What was it about the case that had his boss looking like she was suddenly lost in remembering? “Boss?”

“What?”

“Where were you just now?”

Vera shook her head. “Never you mind. Let’s get this bagged and take them back to the station.”

Aiden nodded and handed Vera the notes before leaving the room to go and get an evidence bag out of his car. He should have known he wouldn’t get an answer out of Vera. “Wonder if Shep knows,” he murmured then shook his head. “Doubtful. If anyone knows it’s Billy or Kenny.”

 

~*~

 

“They did file a report.” Kenny said as he put a folder down on Vera’s desk with a light thump.

Vera opened the folder and fingered through the report, frowning when she noticed the name. “Michael Thompson. Did you run his name?”

“No. Look at the next page.”

Vera growled when she read what she’d feared. Nothing came up in a search that matched the information given about the man. “I was afraid of that. Hellen didn’t just give the therapist the wrong name to protect the man, she didn’t know his real name herself.”

“Now what?”

“Now we hope that the notes turn up a usable fingerprint.”

“This case is getting ridiculous. We have a nutter out there and nothing to help us find him.”

Vera nodded as she scrubbed a hand over her face and yawned. “Go on home, Kenny. There’s nothing else we can do until we see if there’s a print to use.”

Kenny nodded. “You should too.” Looking pointedly at her, he raised an eyebrow. “You look like hell.”

“Thanks for that. Now get out of here before I put you out on night patrol.”

Kenny raised his hands. “I’m going. I’m going.”

Vera watched the man go and gave him a dirty look behind his back. She didn’t need him telling her she looked like hell, she could see that in the mirror. Staring down at the paper in the folder, she slapped at it in frustration. If Hellen didn’t know the man’s real name, what good was haunting her doing?

“Why are you haunting me, Hellen? What are you trying to tell me?” Vera murmured then shook her head at herself for talking to a dead woman. Closing the file, she stood up and walked around her desk to grab her coat, deciding to go home. Not that she would rest. “Not that I’ll be alone,” she mumbled, knowing that Billy would wind up on her doorstep again.

“Lunatic.” Knowing she was being watched as she climbed into the Land Rover, Vera sighed and pulled out her phone. _I know you’re there. Go home._ She typed the text out and sent it to Shep, knowing it was the young woman waiting to follow her home. Hearing her phone’s text notification, she chuckled at the response. _No, Ma’am. I’ll see you home or I won’t sleep. One of us has to look rested._ “Cheeky thing.” Sending back, _Fine then. Just do me a favor and don’t sic Billy on me tonight,_ she shoved her phone back in her pocket and started the engine, pulling out to head home.

Even though she grumbled about being followed about, she had to admit, at least to herself, that it did her heart good to know she had people who cared enough about her to worry that she was in danger.

How many years had it been since she’d had someone care about her to worry over her?

Hector sure as hell had never cared enough to worry. Her mam had cared. She’d often wondered what she would be like now if her mother hadn’t died when she did – if she’d lived to see Vera into adulthood. Would she still be a copper? Would she have a husband and bairns of her own? Would she be less harsh, her sharp tongue reigned in more?

Shaking her head, she sighed. No sense thinking of what ifs and would she bes because she would never have those answers. The last person that had cared and worried about her had been Peter, but look where that had gotten him.

Yes, it was nice having people care and worry, but if she was in danger it put them in harm’s way and she couldn’t have that.

No one was going to die protecting her.

No one.


	14. Chapter 14

_“Marty.” Hellen breathed as she handed him the note she’d found, her hand trembling._

_Martin read the note then looked up at Hellen and pulled her into his arms. “That’s it. We’re taking these to the police.” Caressing her cheek, he held her gaze. “I’m not going to let him hurt you.”_

_Leaning into Martin’s chest, Hellen felt hot tears roll down her cheeks. “It’s my fault,” she breathed. “All my fault. If I hadn’t…he wouldn’t…oh Marty I’m so sorry.”_

_“Shh, Love. It’s not. You kissed him, that’s all. That doesn’t lead to this,” he shook the paper in his hand. “The man is clearly a nutter.”_

_“Marty?”_

_“Yes, Love?”_

_“Can it wait until tomorrow? I would really like to be less upset when we go. I don’t want them thinking I’m of the hysterical female variety.”_

_Gently pushing her back, Martin cupped her face in his hand and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’ve a right to be hysterical, but we can do that. I won’t be leaving you to go to the club tonight. Not unless you come with me.”_

_Hellen wrinkled her nose at that. “Too loud and I don’t really want to look at naked women.”_

_Martin laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll order in and eat in front of the fire. Maybe watch one of your old movies cuddled on the sofa?”_

_Pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw, Hellen laid her head against his chest. “I’d like that very much.”_

_“Then we have a plan. Go put something comfortable on just in case we fall asleep.”_

_Hellen chuckled. “What will John say if he comes in and finds us on the sofa?”_

_“He’ll think we’ve been up to something.” Martin whispered and winked at her, grinning when Hellen slapped his chest and scoffed at him._

_“You’re daft,” she told him, stopping and turning to caress his face. “You’re daft, but I love you. Thank you.”_

_“For what, Love? For taking care of you? I love you, Hellen. I’ve been a right lousy husband for years, I have a lot to make up for.”_

_“Not lousy, Love. You couldn’t have known what happened to me. Why would you suspect anything like that? I had sex with you before we were married which went against everything I’d been taught in school, in church, at home.”_

_Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Martin tugged at her hand when she started up. “Wear the red dressing gown?”_

_Hellen blushed. “Marty,” she whispered even as she nodded. Turning when he let go of her hand, she hurried up the stairs, knowing that he was watching her. Things were so different between them now. So many years she’d missed out on what it felt like to be the object of her husband’s desire simply because she hadn’t known how to understand it._

Vera rolled over, mumbling in her sleep about sex and what good seeing that sort of thing did her when it came to the case. Drifting back into the memories, she sighed as a feeling of contentment washed over her.

_“An Affair to Remember?” Hellen asked as she snuggled against Martin, his hand caressing her bare leg that peaked out from her dressing gown._

_“It’s your favorite, isn’t it?”_

_Hellen nodded. “It is but I know you’re not a fan.”_

_Martin shrugged. “She’s not bad to look at.”_

_“Martin!”_

_“What? Don’t tell me that you don’t fancy him.”_

_“Well,” she hedged then shivered when Martin’s hand moved a little higher up her thigh. “Marty,” she breathed._

_“Yes, Love?”_

_“The movie,” she reminded though her movements told a different story._

_“What about the movie?”_

_“You…oh,” she gasped when his hand moved over the curve of her hip._

_“No knickers? Hmm, were you planning something, Love?”_

_“Only doing what you asked,” she murmured._

_“That I did,” he agreed, turning his attention back to the movie, his hand still wandering beneath the satin of her dressing gown._

The images changed from the couple on the sofa to the bedroom…to them making love.

_“Does it feel good?” Martin asked._

_“Yes.”_

_“Then yes, this is what it’s supposed to be like.”_

_“I missed out on so much.”_

_“No more thinking of it, Love. Only think about now, about us right now.”_

_Hellen sat up and smiled as she pushed against him to make him lie back against the pillows. Holding his gaze, she began to move over him again, smiling at the groan that slipped from his lips._

_“Yes, Love. Just like that.” Martin moaned._

_“Marty,” she breathed._

Vera saw the shadow fall over the couple, felt the fear welling up inside again, and struggled once more to come out of the dream before she saw the horrifying image of Martin dying.

But it was of no use.

“Martin!” she gave a strangled scream then felt herself clawing at her assailant.

“Vera!” a familiar voice sounded in the distance. “Vera! Wake up!”

Jerking awake, Vera found herself staring into her DS’ frightened face. “Aiden?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Aiden nodded.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she looked around the room, realizing that it was light out. How long had she been lost in Hellen’s haunting?

“You didn’t come in. We were worried.”

“How did you get in?”

Aiden shrugged. “You aren’t the only one with tricks up their sleeves.”

“Picked the lock?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m awake now, and you’ve seen for yourself that I’m okay. Go on back to the station and I’ll be in. Give me an hour.”

Aiden shook his head. “No. I’m not leaving until you explain to me what was going on.”

“I was having a nightmare. You know what those are, don’t you?”

“I do. I’ve had them myself. I haven’t ever cried out a murder victim’s name, though.”

Vera sighed. “Go, Aiden. It was just a simply nightmare about a frustrating case.”

“You’re one bloody stubborn woman!”

“Makes me good at me job. Now go on.”

Giving up, Aiden left the room, grumbling and cursing her under his breath. Shutting the door behind him, he pulled out his phone. “Billy, you need to come to Vera’s. I found her still in bed and screaming. She screamed Mr. Kingsley’s name. She won’t talk to me, maybe she will you.”

 

~*~

 

“Damn it, Billy. What are you doing here? I told Aiden I’d be in.”

“And he told me you were screaming again.” Billy glared at her. “I’ve brought someone with me.”

Vera scowled. “Who? Why?”

“A friend that I want you to talk to. He can help.”

Shaking her head, she glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare bring a psychotherapist.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Billy glared back. “Bloody hell, woman! Don’t you want to know what she’s trying to tell you? Don’t you want this to stop?”

“I do! But I don’t want some…some…”

“Head doctor?” filtered in through the kitchen door.

“Oh,” she hissed at Billy.

Billy gave her a grin and a shrug. “Come on through, Hu.”

“Hu?” she mumbled and rolled her eyes. “What sort of name is that?”

“Be nice.” Billy scolded her just before Hu came through the door.

Vera blinked in surprise. Heaven’s above. The man was nothing like what she’d expected. Tall, dark, and handsome came to mind. “I don’t need your help,” she mumbled.

Hu shrugged his shoulders. “Fine then. I was just doing this for a friend anyway, doesn’t matter to me if you want to keep having your sleep disturbed by a victim haunting you.”

Billy had to bite his lip to keep from smirking when Vera blinked in surprise at Hu’s no nonsense come back. He had more than one friend that did what Hu did, but Hu was the only one that could give as good as Vera when it came to snark.

“So you think I’m a nutter.” Vera mumbled.

Hu shook his head. “No, I don’t. I have no problems believing that a victim that looks like you is haunting you with her memories. She’s trying to tell you something but she can’t just come out and show you because of the horror of what she witnessed. You’re seeing all of these things because it’s how she’s processing.”

“Well now you sound like a…” Vera started then shook her head.

“I’m no more mad than you are. I just happen to believe that there are things that happen to all of us that have no explanation. We’ve all heard how everyone has a doppelganger walking around, you’ve just had the misfortune of coming upon yours in a rather gruesome way. I don’t think you would be experiencing this dream haunting if she hadn’t looked like you.”

“So you think it’s some sort of mystic nonsense because we’re look alikes?”

“If that’s the way you want to put it, then yes.”

“Billy, where did you find this man? The local pub?”

“No. He found me at school. We were mates in primary school. We lost touch until a few years ago when I moved back into the area and set up a private practice.”

“I found him to be quite helpful after the Frane case.” Billy whispered as he held Vera’s gaze.

Vera blinked in surprise at that. She knew how much that case had affected her friend, it had been the beginning of his leaving her team. “Billy, I,” she started but stopped when Billy gently grasped her shoulders.

“I know you don’t like opening up to people, and I know why, but Vera…you need help that I can’t give you.” Caressing her cheek with his thumb, Billy smiled at her. “I’m your friend, you know you can trust me. Trust that I would never tell someone anything unless I trusted them to help you.”

Hu moved closer and smiled at her. “I promise no one knows that I am here. Billy called and I had no appointments scheduled until well in the afternoon so I came along. Billy has explained to me how private you are so we’ll keep our meetings to your home. No one will see you coming or going to my office.” Hu assured her, his rich baritone voice level and controlled as he assured the woman his friend clearly cared about.

“I can’t. My crew expects me to come in. If I’m any later, they’ll be hunting me again.”

“Call and tell them you’re not coming in until later.” Billy suggested.

Vera rolled her eyes. “And that won’t make them suspicious at all.”

“Fine.” Billy scowled at her. “We’ll be back here tonight at eight with dinner.” Giving her a pointed look, he shook his finger at her. “ _I’ll_ hunt you down if you aren’t here.”

“Off with you. And if you’re going to harass me, you’d better bring a good strong drink with you.”

“You don’t need drink.” Billy reminded her.

“I do if I’m going to talk to your friend there.”

“I’d prefer you be sober.” Hu told her, giving her a bored look when she scowled up at him.

“Fine! Just go so I can finish getting ready and leave. I’m already going to have to call and tell Aiden I’m running behind.”

“You won’t have to explain much since he’s the one that called me.”

Vera snarled her nose and drug her fingers through her hair. “The bloody snitch.”

“Vera. The lad was worried.”

“I don’t like being fussed over, you know that.”

“I do, but you’re going to have to suck it up and let us fuss.” Billy kissed the top of her head and walked from the room, missing her dirty look.

Hu caught the look and had to clear his throat to hide the chuckle that threatened to escape. “That’s one tough woman,” he whispered to Billy as the walked out the front door.

“You don’t know the half of it.”


	15. Chapter 15

Vera stared across the table at her dinner companion. Billy hadn’t bothered to show up which left her with Hu, a complete stranger. “I thought Billy was going to be here,” she mumbled around a bite of pasta. Healthy pasta, damn Billy anyway.

“He felt it would be better if it were just the two of us.”

“I don’t see why. He knows everything.”

“Does he?”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you told him everything?”

“Of course I have.”

Hu arched an eyebrow. “Have you?” he pressed.

Vera scowled. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I believe you do.”

“I told him that she was haunting me and that the case was all about sex because that’s what I keep seeing.”

“Yes, but did you tell him that you aren’t just seeing things as if you’re Mrs. Kingsley – that you’re also feeling everything she feels? Including the arousal she feels when you’re seeing them making love.”

Vera blinked at him. How the hell did he know that? “No. Why would I? And how do you know that I am?”

“She’s haunting you, Miss Stanhope. You are living her memories. It only makes sense that you would also be experiencing her emotions.”

“I told Billy about the fear.”

“Well, he wouldn’t have needed you to tell him about that. Your scream was enough.”

Vera looked down at her food. “It happened again today. A perfectly happy scene with her and Marty snuggling on the sofa and messing about instead of watching the movie and then,” she shivered. “They were in their bed, and I was watching the same scene again that I saw the other day. I saw a bit more of the memory before the shadow appeared but…”

“But?” Hu encouraged, his keen eyes taking in the way Vera paled at she relived what she’d seen and experienced.

“It was the same. I felt the arm around my neck, smelt the alcohol on his breath as it whispered against me ear. I clawed at the arm,” she pointed at her neck. “I’m surprised Billy didn’t demand to see that I’d cleaned it properly when he was here.”

“Vera, you called Mr. Kingsley Marty.”

“What?”

“You called him Marty.”

Vera thought back on what she’d said and shrugged. “I didn’t think about it. That’s what Hellen calls him most of the time.”

“Her nickname for him?”

“Yes. She hadn’t called him that for years. Not until they fixed what had gone wrong,” she shook her head. “No, fixed what had always been wrong.”

“So you’re learning about them through her memories.”

“Yes.”

“And has she given you hints that have helped the case with these memories?”

“Well, I got enough of a hint to ask Martin’s mother if the couple had been seeing a therapist.”

“And they had.”

“Yes. A sex therapist. She was how I learned there was another man, though she didn’t know that Hellen had only kissed the man and nothing more.”

“But that is how you found out there was another suspect?”

“Yes. We thought it might be the manager Martin had fired and had beat up by one of his bouncers. He was the only lead we had until I talked to the therapist. Of course, nothing has come of that so far because the name he gave wasn’t his real name. No one has seen him. At least no one alive. He isn’t with Parks and Conservation like the son thought he was.” Looking up at Hu, Vera sighed, “I’ve not seen his face in the memory.”

“Mrs. Kingsley may not have seen his face. She would have recognized him by his voice and the things he said.”

“But how does that help me? If she can’t show me who he is, why is she haunting me?”

“Maybe she can show you. Remember, she saw him at other times.”

“And how are you going to help me? Talking about it isn’t going to make her stop haunting me.”

“No, you’re right, it isn’t. Maybe, though, I can help you relax while you’re awake and we can get her to show you more memories. If we can do that, we might just be able to learn more and you can have a restful night’s sleep.”

“That’s doubtful.”

Hu gave her a look. “What is?”

“A restful night’s sleep. I don’t ever get a night’s sleep. Haven’t done in years.”

“You must get some rest because Billy says you’re looking like hell which implies that you don’t normally.”

“I think they all need glasses,” she mumbled.

Hu chuckled a bit. “I think they’re all just worried, especially Billy. There’s history between the two of you.”

Vera rolled her eyes and frowned. “Not _that_ kind of history. He just knows things that no one else does because he’s known me for years. He’s protected me against the others learning,” she shrugged. “Well, Billy’s a friend.”

“A friend that is very worried about you. You frightened him the night he heard you screaming. He also seems to worry that you’re not taking the threat of the killer coming after you seriously. Why is that?”

“Because I can take care of me self.” Taking a sip of her drink, she shook her head. “Not that anyone listens to me. I’m sure you saw the car outside hidden so I can’t see them.”

“I did. How do you know they’re out there?”

Vera gave him an exasperated look. “Because I’ve been doing this job a long time. I knew they were following me about and I’ve told them time and again to stop, that I know they’re doing it, but Aiden nor Shep will listen to me. Shep says she has to or she won’t sleep, and cheeky thing that she is, she insists that one of us has to look well rested. I’m sure it’s Aiden out there tonight. They take turns. One of them follows me home and the other stays out there all night if they don’t call Billy to come and harass me. Tonight, they don’t know who you are, so they’re staying.”

“So how will you explain me?”

She shrugged. “I won’t.”

“And they’ll accept that?”

“Probably not.” Vera gave him a mischievous look. “If they go to Billy, he’ll have them believing we’re sleeping together.”

Hu sputtered then coughed at that. “What?” he finally managed a surprised almost squeak.

Vera laughed and smirked. “I’m just stating the truth. He’s done it to me before.”

Hu shook his head. “I see he really hasn’t changed much over the years.”

“Not at all.”

“So I shouldn’t be surprised if I get phone calls from well intentioned people from your team checking to make sure I’m good enough for their boss?”

“It’s doubtful they’ll do that. They know I’d have their heads for it.”

“Well that’s good.” Hu took the last sip of his wine and pushed his plate back. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“I didn’t really have a choice, did I? You heard Billy.”

Hu laughed and shook his head. “I did, but I don’t really believe you’re afraid of his threats.”

“In this instance, I think he would have hunted me down. Billy’s never really been afraid of me. I used to get more cheek out of him,” she shook her head. “Always pushing it way past the line.”

“What do you mean?”

“The things he’d say when we were working cases together. He was always pushing the line of going too far.”

“And you let him?”

“I’d tell him to stop or scowl at him, but he never seemed to listen.”

“So he knows your bark is worse than your bite.”

“Oh, no, he knows just the opposite, he just isn’t afraid of me like my crew is.”

“Because he knows your secret.”

Vera fidgeted with her empty glass. “Yes.”

“And what is that secret?”

Shaking her head, she stood up and took her plate to the sink. “Nothing to do with anything in my life now.”

Hu watched her, wondering if the secret she wouldn’t talk about played a part in why she never got a night’s sleep. Or could it be that a mind that worked in the way hers did wouldn’t shut down long enough to let her rest for very long? Either way, he hoped to help her with all of it. He liked Vera. She was harsh, but the little bit he’d learned from Billy about her upbringing explained that. She didn’t hold back, a trait he liked in people. He’d rather someone tell him exactly what they thought then play games.

“Gathering wool?”

Hu looked up and nodded. “I suppose I was. I think we’ve talked enough for tonight. Tomorrow evening, same time?”

“I’ll try. I can’t promise that something won’t come up with the case that keeps me out late.”

“Here,” he handed her a business card. “My mobile number is on the back. If you aren’t going to be here, just call and let me know.”

Vera accepted the card with a nod. “I’ll try to remember. I’m not good at that when my mind is on a lead.”

Hu chuckled at that. “That is an excuse.”

Snarling her nose, she stuffed the card in her pocket. “Fine then.”

Standing, Hu shrugged into his jacket. “I really did enjoy our dinner.”

“I did, too. Even if you were asking all sorts of nosy questions.”

Hu grinned. “Goodnight, Vera. I’ll be sure to wave to your guard as I drive by.”

“They’ll like that,” she chuckled and walked with him to the door. Waving at him as he turned to get in his car, she shook her head as she closed and locked the door. Turning out the lights, she walked back to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of whiskey then made her way to the bedroom.

She’d spent more time sleeping in her bed since the haunting started than she’d spent in years. She usually fell asleep in a chair for an hour or two. At least in the bed she didn’t take the chance of landing on the floor in her tossing about. She had a sore forehead a couple of times from falling asleep at the table, the last thing she needed was to break an arm or hip falling out of her chair. “I’d have a lot of lying to do to explain that one,” she mumbled as she downed the last of her drink.

Stripping down and pulling her nightdress over her head, she slid into bed. “Alright, Hellen…what have you got to show me tonight? No nightmares, eh?”


	16. Chapter 16

_“Mrs. Kingsley.”_

_Hellen turned at the sound of her name and smiled at the young man. “Oh, hello, Michael. What is it?” she asked, feeling as she always did when the young man was around her. Aroused, she supposed was what the feeling was…at least it felt the same as what she felt when she read her book._

_“I have something to show you. I found them earlier today and thought you might like them.”_

_Hellen followed the young man out into the wooded area on their property and stumbled on a slippery patch of grass. “I should have put on my wellies.”_

_Michael caught her and held her hand as she made it the rest of the way down. “There. Do you want me to go back and get them?”_

_“No. It’s fine. What is it you wanted me to see?”_

_“There,” he pointed and handed her a pair of binoculars._

_Looking where he pointed, Hellen smiled when she saw a tiny head pop up out of the nest. “Babies.”_

_“Yes. I’m not sure where the mother is, but we should be fine for now.”_

_Hellen continued to watch, feeling her eyes water as she thought back to when her own children were babies, of how protective she’d been of them. Handing the binoculars back to Michael, she turned away and wiped at her cheeks._

_“What is it?”_

_“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she sniffed again. “I think I’m just feeling lonely. My husband and I are fighting, my son and his girlfriend are at odds over their baby. He doesn’t believe there is a baby and she keeps saying…” Hellen shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with these things.”_

_Caressing her back, Michael stepped closer. “It’s alright. I think it just shows you’re a good mother.”_

_Hellen scoffed. “Not much of one anymore. My kids are grown. You haven’t met him, but you saw the young man that was here the other day…that was my son.”_

_“You can’t possibly be old enough to have a son that age.”_

_Hellen turned to smile at him only to find herself staring at his lips. Before she knew what was happening she was kissing him and sliding a hand up around his neck to pull him close. Finally coming to her senses, she pulled back and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what came over me. I have to go.”_

_“No, it’s alright.” Michael pulled her back and kissed her, holding her close._

_Hellen gave into the kiss for a few moments then pulled away. “No. I can’t. I’m sorry,” she breathed then rushed off. Dear god, what had she been thinking?_

Vera opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Hellen had taken her to the day she’d kissed Michael. She should have finally had a face, but all she’d seen was the blur of the morning sun half blinding her through the trees.

Reaching out, she fumbled around until her hand landed on her mobile. “Aiden,” she said after she’d heard his gruff voice answer. “Sleeping on the job?” she chuckled when he growled a no, that it was bloody cold and he’d not talked to anyone in hours. “Go home. I might possibly have another clue, but I need you awake.” She ended the call when he started to argue and sent him a text. _I said go home. I expect you to be at work, on time, and wide awake._ Waiting a few seconds, she sent another text. _I heard that._ She was sure Aiden had been grumbling, and was positive that her last text got an eye roll, but he should know by now…she could see and hear everything.

Putting her mobile back on the night table, Vera settled back down against her pillows. “So Hellen, are you going to show me the lad’s face?”

_“Mrs. Kingsley.”_

_Hellen froze then calmed herself and turned to look at the young man. “Yes?”_

_“Don’t be sorry for what happened. You’re a bonnie woman.”_

_Hellen felt dirty with the way Michael was looking at her and had to stifle a shudder. “Don’t, please. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I’m married. I can’t.”_

_“So you’re nothing but a tease.”_

_Hellen blinked in surprise at the way Michael’s tone changed and felt herself backing up until the table was between her and the young man she’d once thought so nice. “Please go. My husband will be home soon.”_

_“You’re all the same. You tease and taunt and make a man want you then you turn coy and use your marriage as an excuse.”_

_“Go or I’ll call nine-nine-nine.” Hellen felt her heart race at the look Michael gave her before turning and walking out the door. Holding her breath until she heard his truck start and race down the drive, she felt her knees go out from under her and collapsed on the floor._

_“Hellen, Love, it’s Anne.”_

_Hellen heard her mother-in-law’s voice filter into the kitchen, but she couldn’t move and only managed to look up and gasp Anne’s name when the woman came into the room. “Anne.”_

_Anne’s eyes grew wide as she dropped her purse and rushed to Hellen. “Hellen!”_

_“Oh Anne, what have I done?” she breathed as she let the older woman help her up and push her into a chair. Not having the strength to hold herself upright, she felt herself falling forward only to be stopped by Anne pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her._

_“My god, Love, you’re trembling. What’s happened?”_

_“I’ve done something. Oh god, please don’t tell Martin.”_

_“Hellen, how I can tell him when I don’t know?” Anne asked as she cupped Hellen’s face and lifted it so she was looking at her. “Calm down now and tell me what’s happened.”_

_Hellen took a few deep breaths, her gaze never leaving Anne’s, the older woman’s kind eyes having a calming affect. “The young man that’s been working here…”_

_“Yes?” Anne nudged when it seemed like Hellen wasn’t going to continue._

_“You know Martin and I…well, you know how things are.”_

_“Yes, I do. I thought the therapist was helping.”_

_Hellen shook her head. “We’ve been arguing and I…” tears filled her eyes and spilled over. “Oh god, Anne. I kissed the P and C man earlier today.”_

_“And that’s why you’re so upset?” Anne smiled. “It was just a kiss, Love. Nothing to be this upset over.”_

_“No,” she gasped. “He turned on me because I wouldn’t do more. He left just a few minutes before you got here. It was like he was a different man. I had to threaten to call nine-nine-nine before he would leave.”_

_“You have to tell Martin, Hellen.”_

_“I can’t.” Hellen cried. “Oh please, Anne. Please don’t say anything to anyone. I’m sure Michael won’t be back, that he was just angry I’d led him on.”_

_“I don’t like this, Hellen.”_

_“Please,” she begged as she fisted her hands in Anne’s sweater._

_Pulling her daughter-in-law back against her, Anne wrapped an arm around her and cradled her head. “I promise, but **you** have to promise to tell Martin if anything else happens.”_

Coming out of the memory, Vera reached up and wiped at her cheeks. Anne knew about Hellen’s kiss and the initial confrontation with Michael. While she still didn’t have a face to go with the false name, she did have a few questions to ask Anne. The main one being…why hadn’t she told them about what happened with Michael that day?


	17. Chapter 17

“Anne, Love…” Vera started then bit her lip, wondering how she was going to ask her question without arousing suspicions in Anne, making the older woman ask how Vera knew about the incident. Rolling her eyes, she plunged on, she’d tell the truth if she had to. “Why didn’t you tell me about Hellen’s confrontation with Michael the day she kissed him?”

Anne frowned and looked around to make sure they were still alone. “How do you know about that?” she whispered. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell and I kept my promise.”

Vera sighed and looked down at her hands. “You’ll think me mad, but your daughter-in-law has been haunting my dreams.”

“What?”

Looking up at the confused woman sitting across from her, Vera decided she’d tell her everything. “My sleep has been haunted ever since I found your son and Hellen. It’s like I’m living her life. She’s trying to tell me things, trying to help me, I suppose. That’s how I knew to ask about the therapist. How I knew to ask if there was another man. I’ve learned a lot about them. Your son loved his wife very much. Hellen had started calling him Marty again…he liked that.”

“You couldn’t possibly know any of that…” Anne breathed as she studied the woman who looked so much like her daughter-in-law.

“Yet I do. I felt it, Anne. I’ve felt her love for Martin. I’ve felt her fear. I woke up crying this morning because she’d been crying as she told you what had happened that day after she kissed Michael. She was so afraid but you calmed her. You took care of her. You were a good mother to her, not like her own mother.”

Anne gasped. Hellen had told no one but Martin and then Anne herself about…“She told no one about how horrible her mother was.”

“She took me there…to the day she told the therapist what had happened to her as a girl, how her mother reacted. Then she took me to the day she told Martin. That’s the day it all seemed to fall in place for her. He cried, Anne. Your son cried for his wife, for what she’d been through…for how she’d been treated by her own mother.”

“My god, you have seen.” Anne whispered as she reached out and laid her hand over Vera’s.

“I have. I’ve hurt with her. I’ve cried with her. I…”

“You died with her.”

Vera shook her head. “Not yet.”

Anne closed her eyes. “You’ve seen my Martin die,” she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, yes…I have.” Vera shivered at the memory.

“I don’t think you’re mad.” Anne squeezed Vera’s hands, opening her eyes and giving Vera a watery smile when she looked up. “When this is all over, will you tell me about them? Tell the children? I think maybe that’s why you’re seeing so much. Maybe she wants us all to know.”

Vera nodded. “I will.”

“Did the young man confront her again?”

“He threatened her. He’s our only suspect now, but we can’t find him because we don’t know his real name. When Hellen takes me to the memories, I can never see his face.” Sighing in frustrating, Vera turned her hand over and clasped Anne’s. “I **will** learn who he is and I **will** find him. I have a friend who thinks he can help me with the hauntings. Maybe with his help I can see Michael’s face.”

“Will that help you find him?”

“It will be more than I have now.”

“Thank you for telling me. You’ve not told your team have you?”

Vera grimaced and shook her head. “No. They’d think me soft in the head.”

“I’ll not say a word to anyone.”

“You’re a very kind woman, Anne. Your daughter-in-law was lucky to have you to take such good care of her.”

“My Martin loved her, and she loved him.” Anne shrugged. “The poor lass needed someone to mother her with the way her own mother treated her. I knew the woman was horrible before Hellen ever told Martin and I anything about her childhood.”

Vera stood and pulled her hat out of her pocket. “I’m going to go now. You need to rest and I need to try and learn who did this to your family.”

“Be careful.” Anne warned causing Vera to stop at the door and look back at her. “If he was insane enough to murder them because of Hellen not giving him what he wanted, you’re in danger too. He’ll think he needs to kill her again.”

“Two of my team have been following me about and watching my house at night when I don’t have a friend busting in on me and planting himself on my couch. I can take care of myself, I promise.”

“But you have a whole team of people that can protect you. Don’t…” Anne sighed and looked down at her hands. “Don’t be like Martin and Hellen.”

“They went to the police, Anne. They did report it.”

“Then I don’t understand.”

“They took them seriously, but without anything other than their word and the notes, there was nothing they could do. They did a search using the name they were given and no one by that name exists in this area.”

Anne nodded. “Thank you for telling me that. I needed to know that they weren’t foolish enough to think the man wouldn’t do anything.”

“You’re welcome.” Vera whispered and smiled before opening the door and leaving, pulling her hat down on her head. “You were one lucky woman Hellen,” she whispered as she thought of the sweet woman she’d just spent the last hour talking to and telling things that she hadn’t told anyone other than Hu. Not even Billy knew as much as she’d just told Anne.

What was it about the older woman that it so easy to open up and talk to her?

 

~*~

 

A thought had struck Vera as she drove to the station and she’d headed straight for Kenny’s desk when she entered the incident room. “Kenny.”

“Yes, Boss?”

“When you were talking to P and C, did they mention anything about one of their duty vehicles missing?”

“No.”

“Call them back. I don’t care how many people you have to talk to, I want to know if any of them are missing. Specifically a red pickup.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“And don’t let them argue. Tell them if they don’t know, find out.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Kenny answered again and turned to do as he was told. He didn’t know what good it would do other than confirm what they already knew, the man wasn’t with P and C.

“But maybe he was in the past, Kenny.” Vera called from her office as if she’d heard his thoughts.

“How the bloody heck does she do that?” he mumbled.

“Her mind works in ways we can’t even begin to fathom.” Shep whispered as she looked into her boss’ office.

“Well it’s right crazy the way it always seems she’s in our heads.”

“She’s spent her life working with PCs and DCs and all sorts. I’m sure she’s heard or thought all of it.”

Kenny shrugged. “I’d best get to what she wanted me to do before she has me head.”

“And wouldn’t it be a lovely bookend on her shelf.” Shep teased which earned her a glare from Kenny.

“I’ll keep it right where it is, thanks.”

Shep shrugged and walked away. She had things to discuss with Vera. “Boss,” she called as she knocked on Vera’s door.

“What is it, Shep?” she asked as he looked up, mischief in her eyes. “And I don’t want Kenny’s head on me shelf. I’d have to look at his smug face every day if I did that.”

Shep couldn’t help but laugh as she sat down across from Vera’s desk. “You really do hear everything.”

“Father always said I had ears like a cat.” She frowned. “Made for uncomfortable situations growing up.”

Shep snarled her nose. “Oh my.”

“Yes.” Vera nodded with a scowl of her own. “Now, what was it you needed?”

“You sent Aiden home last night, well early this morning.”

“I did.”

“How did you know he was there? How did you know it was him and not me?”

“Shep. Remember what you just said to Kenny?”

Shep sighed and nodded. “I do.”

“That’s your answer.”

“But why send him home?”

“Because I don’t need to be watched!”

“You do. Why won’t you let us protect you?”

“I can take care of meself.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because no one is listening and because it’s the truth.”

“What is it you aren’t saying?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Why won’t you let us protect you? And don’t tell me it’s because you can take care of yourself. I’ve heard that one.”

Vera narrowed her eyes then nodded her head to the door. “Close the door.”

Shep did as told then sat back down. “What is it?”

“This goes no further. Do you understand me? Nothing. No slip ups, nothing. If you slip up, I’ll transfer you.”

Shep blinked at the threat then nodded. “I promise.”

“There was someone in my past, someone I loved very much, that thought they needed to protect me.”

“And?” Shep prodded when Vera stopped.

Turning and looking out the windows, Vera continued, “And he was murdered for his efforts. I still don’t know who the killer was.”

Shep sagged back against the chair and stared at her boss. She’d been just like everyone else, assuming that Vera had always been the independent woman that neither had, nor cared to have, a man in her life. But what she’d just heard…it changed so much about the woman. It explained everything. “We won’t be murdered, Ma’am. I can carry a firearm. I’ll take the watch shifts at your house from now on and keep my firearm with me. Does Aiden know any of this?”

“He knows the bit about the unsolved murder.”

“But he doesn’t know that it was the man your were in love with.” Shep whispered.

Vera shook her head. “No one besides Billy knows that…until now that is.” Looking back at the younger woman, she held her gaze. “No slip ups. I know what they all think of me, let’s keep it that way, shall we?”

“But, Boss, why?”

“It’s best if they think what they do about me. Makes it easier to do me job.”

Shep didn’t understand the logic, but she nodded anyway. “I’ll not be saying anything. I’ll think of something to tell Aiden as to why we’re not going to take turns anymore.” She bit her lip. “Maybe I can tell him you feel uncomfortable having your friend to visit with him sitting out there.”

Vera scowled. “Nosey, the lot of you. He is just that. A friend of mine and of Billy’s. Billy sent the man in his place.”

“So he’ll be spending the night…” Shep started but was cut off.

“No. Not even on the couch. He comes for dinner and we visit then he leaves. End of.”

“Fine, fine.” Shep held up her hands. “So shall I give you a couple of hours before I show up for my night shift?”

Vera rolled her eyes. “Fine then. Now off with you.”

“Where do you want me to go?”

“Why not go back to the neighbors? Wasn’t there one house where no one was home every time Kenny went?”

“Yes.”

“Fine then. Go and see if anyone’s there. If they aren’t, do a bit of poking about.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking it’s a bit odd that no one seems to know anything about where that neighbor is and that said neighbor never seems to be at home.”

Shep nodded, following Vera’s thinking. “I’ll call and let you know what I discover.”

“Good.” Vera said then called, “And Shep?”

Shep turned, her hand on the door. “Yes, Ma’am?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Ma’am,” she answered and opened the door, a smile on her face as she walked out to her desk. She’d once told her boss that the team ran as well as it did because it came from the top…that was still true. The woman might come off uncaring and gruff at times, and she’d been rough on several of the members that were on the team or had left to go to other jobs, but Shep understood that now. Mistakes led to deaths and Vera yelled and shouted at them for mistakes to keep them from making them again…to keep them alive.


	18. Chapter 18

Hu put down his wine glass. “So?”

“So?” Vera echoed.

Hu frowned at her. “Are we going to do this every time we meet to talk?”

Vera shrugged. “Sorry. I’m not one for airing me thoughts or what goes on in my private time.”

“Something happened today.”

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

“I had another…” she shrugged. “…haunting last night. Hellen took me to the day she kissed Michael.”

“Did you see his face?”

Vera scowled and shook her head. “No. All I could see was the morning sun nearly blinding me,” she frowned. “Her. Sun blinding her.”

“You said me.”

Vera gave him a _no shit_ look. “I know what I said.”

“Why do you think you said me instead of her?”

“Why do you think I said me instead of her?” Vera threw his question back at him.

Hu shook his head. “Uh uh. No throwing my questions back at me. Answer me. Why do you think you said me?”

“Because, damn it! It felt like me. It was me.”

“So she’s taking over more than before.”

“Yes, and I don’t like it. It was one thing to feel things, but always before it was sort of like…” she paused trying to find the right description.

“An out of body experience?”

“Yes.” Vera nodded. “Exactly like that. Now, though, it’s as if I’m actually there. As if my eyes were actually the ones watering from the sun.”

“Maybe you’re getting closer to seeing him. What else did you see?”

“She took me to later, when she’d gone inside. He followed her and tried to get her to give him more. When she wouldn’t, and asked him to leave, it was as if he was a different person.”

“Could you see his face then?”

“No. There was a shadow of some sort blocking his face. Why can’t I see his face?”

“Because she _did_ see his face the day she died.”

“What?”

“She can’t show you his face because it leads her back to the horror of that day.”

“But she’s taken me to the day they were murdered. I’ve seen Martin die.”

“Yes, but you never finish out that particular haunting. I don’t think Hellen is actually taking you there. I think it’s invading her own thoughts.”

“That’s why it’s just randomly happening in the middle of other memories.”

“Yes.” Hu studied Vera and watched how she pushed food about on her plate. “What is it?”

“I need to see his face.”

“Yes.”

“I promised Hellen’s mother-in-law I would find him. I can’t do that without something more than the bits we have.”

“What about the notes? No prints?”

“One. A partial thumb print which makes it harder to find so we haven’t gotten anything from that yet. They’ve put a rush on it, but the system can only go so fast. And what if he isn’t there? Then I’m still stuck with a fake name and a false occupation.”

“You’re getting frustrated.” Hu told her when he saw her drag her fingers through her hair for the third time in the last half hour.

“Of course I am. It’s terrible enough to make a family wait when it’s one loved one that’s been taken, but this family lost two people they loved very much. John and Jenny are now orphans and all I can tell them is, I promise I’ll find him. What good is my promise if I don’t have enough to do as I’ve said I would?”

“Have you had a case like this before?”

Vera looked up at Hu. “What do you mean? What’s Billy been saying?”

“You just answered my question.” Hu told her. “What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s nothing to do with this.”

“It does matter. It’s the secret that Billy knows. It’s why you’re getting more than frustrated with the lack of evidence in this case.”

“I’m more than frustrated because I’m being haunted!”

“That is probably part of it. What is the secret?”

“No.”

“Tell me what happened. Did you lose someone to a murder? Is that what’s driving you to make promises to the family that you might not be able to keep?”

Vera glared at Hu. “I will keep my promise.”

“Tell me.” Hu prodded again.

“Damn it all! Fine!” Vera yelled. “It was my fiancé! He thought I needed to be protected and was killed in the process!” She shouted then stopped, downing the last of her drink.

“And the case has gone unsolved because there wasn’t enough evidence to lead the investigators to the killer.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Vera. Is the case still being investigated now that we have much better technology?”

“No. It’s a cold case. The files are all boxed up gathering dust.”

Hu watched Vera fidget with the fork she’d placed on her napkin. Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry for pushing so hard, for making you relive that. Knowing about it helps me understand you just a little bit better. I believe it’s also why you’re reliving Hellen’s life in bits and pieces.”

Looking at the hand over hers, Vera calmed. Usually it was only Billy that could calm her like this, and not always so easily. Something about this man left her feeling a bit off center and calm all at the same time. How was that possible? “Will you help me see his face?”

“I’ll do my best, but we’ll wait until tomorrow. I’ve pushed you enough tonight. It won’t do any good with the state your emotions are in.”

“Tomorrow morning?”

“I can be here at ten. I have a couple of appointments before that.”

“Fine then. I’ll go in to work for a bit then come back home.”

“Just try to stay as calm as you can. The more calm you are, the easier it will be to put you in a sort of trance.”

“You’re going to hypnotize me?”

“Not really. Just help you, what do the young American’s call it? Oh yes, zone out. That’s an apt description.”

“Alright.”

“I hope you know that I won’t tell a soul what you’ve told me. I won’t even tell Billy that I know about your fiancé.”

“His name was Peter.”

“About Peter. Billy will only know if you tell him. Speaking of which, you might want to call him and let him know how you’re doing. He’s been asking me because he doesn’t want to make you think he’s checking up on you.”

“As if that’s stopped him before,” she mumbled then rolled her eyes when there was a knock on the door. “How much do you want to bet that’s Billy at the door?”

“I’m not going to take that bet.”

“Spoil sport.”

Hu laughed and followed her out of the kitchen, shoving his arms into his coat as he went. Grinning at Billy over Vera’s head when she opened the door, he patted her shoulder. “See. I’m a sore loser.”

“Oh go away.”

Hu winked at her then slapped Billy’s back on his way out the door. “She may well beat you for showing up on her doorstep.”

“I’m not afraid of her.” Billy yelled back at his friend then turned and smiled down at Vera. “Rough dinner?” he asked, seeing the sadness in her dark eyes.

“Come in so you don’t let the heat out.”

Shutting the door behind himself, Billy turned and found his arms full of his friend as she leaned against him. “What is it?”

“I think it’s a good thing you’re here,” she murmured almost sure that tonight’s haunting was going to be a mix of Hellen’s memories and her own.

“I’m staying.” Billy told her as he guided her into the kitchen. “Pour yourself a drink then go take a bath. I’ll do the clean up and meet you on the sofa.”

Vera poured the drink then started to leave but paused and turned to grab Billy’s hand. “Hu knows about Peter,” she whispered.

Studying his friend, Billy squeezed her hand. “Then you’re right, it is a good thing I’m here.”

 

~*~

 

_“Martin, what are we going to do?” Hellen asked as she stared down at the kitchen table. The call they’d received from the police had left her feeling more afraid than she’d already felt._

_“I’ll call the security company and see about updating our system.”_

_“But Martin, he lied to us. Who is he?”_

_“I don’t know, Love. We could go away on holiday if it would make you feel better. Maybe if we go away for a while he’ll give up.” Martin reached across and tugged at her hand. “Come here, Love.”_

_Hellen moved around the table to Martin’s side and let him tug her down onto his lap. Holding his head to her, she pressed a kiss to his hair. “I’m scared, Marty,” she whispered._

_“I know you are.” Martin reached up and cupped her face. “I am too. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do anything to protect you.”_

Vera whimpered when she suddenly found herself on the dirty pavement of the alley where her life had changed.

_“Peter,” she whispered as she knelt down beside him. “Peter, wake up. You have to stay awake. Talk to me.”_

_Peter’s eyes fluttered open and he smiled. “You’re beautiful. You’re not hurt?”_

_“No, I’m not hurt.”_

_Peter nodded slightly then gasped and reached for her hand. “Hold my hand, Ve.”_

_Vera clasped his hand and lifted it to her lips. “I am.”_

_“I love you. I only wanted to protect you. You have to promise to be careful. Don’t let the boys run rough shod over you.”_

_“I love you. I didn’t need protecting,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I need you.”_

_His eyes slowly closing, Peter whispered, “I’m sorry, Ve.”_

_“Peter! Peter, wake up.”_

“Peter!” Vera screamed, her mind jumbling up the images from that horrible day in her life with the day Martin had died. “Martin!”

“Vera!” Billy lightly tapped her face, cupping her cheek when her eyes opened. “It’s alright.”

“No, it isn’t,” she whispered as she turned her face into his chest, the tears she’d been crying from her memories soaking Billy’s shirt.

Billy hadn’t seen Vera like this since the early days after Peter had been murdered. They’d known this would probably happen. Nightmares had plagued her for the first month after Peter’s death and it was only when she’d boxed it all up and got away from the people who knew about Peter and what had happened, that she was able to move on. Though he wasn’t sure that she’d actually moved on. Billy had always felt she’d just compartmentalized it in that strange brain of hers instead of dealing with it. Which he supposed was what led them to this.

“It was all mixed up,” she whispered. “Peter’s death, Martin’s death. So mixed up.”

“Maybe you could ask Hu for a sedative that will put you into a drug induced sleep so that you won’t dream.” Billy held up his hand when Vera glared up at him. “Now, hear me out. You need rest, Vera. This case is hurting you mentally and the lack of rest is going to make you physically ill if it keeps going. I’ll be here while you’re resting if you want me to be. Just think about it, hmm?”

Vera sighed as she settled back against Billy. “I miss him, Billy. I know you think I’ve locked him away, but I haven’t. He’s always there.”

“But maybe that’s just as bad for you as locking him away. He wouldn’t want you to be lonely or unhappy, Vera.”

“I was a loner before Peter.” She drew aimless patterns on Billy’s hand. “He was different than any other man I’d ever met. Me dad was always telling me I was…well…so I joined the police to prove that I wasn’t any of the things he thought I was. But men only saw me as competition because I could out think a big portion of the ones in my class. Then came Peter. He could think as fast on his feet as I could, and the few times I managed to out think him, he laughed and said the best had won. He pushed me to be better but he also flirted and made me feel like a woman. Before I knew what happened, I was in love with him and he was asking me to marry him.”

“I remember.”

“I couldn’t believe it. I was going to have a family of my own, people to love me and care for me. And then it was all gone before it ever really started. I look at Joe and his bairns, and now Aiden and his, and it hurts, Billy. I wanted my own bairns. I wanted to be the kind of mother me own mum had been to me before she died. I could have been.”

Billy wrapped his arm tighter around Vera. “You still could have.”

Vera shook her head. “No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t take that chance again. You know what Peter’s death did to me.”

“I do.”

“I just couldn’t bring myself to take a chance on going through something like that again.”

“So you shut yourself off and became aloof.”

“I couldn’t be hurt that way. But I wasn’t completely shut off. I didn’t shut you or Stewart out.”

“No, you didn’t. Although you did lose touch with Stewart, maybe that was shutting him out.”

Vera nodded. “I suppose it was, though I didn’t really think of it at the time. You would never let me shut you out.”

“You know you’ve always liked me best.”

Vera tilted her head back and rolled her eyes at him. “Think what you will.”

Billy grinned down at her. “Do you think you can rest now? Maybe she’ll leave you alone for a least a couple of hours.”

“Mmm,” she hummed as she slid down putting her head on Billy’s lap. “Maybe.”

Billy gently lifted her head and tucked a small pillow under it before pulling the throw further over her. Staring into the fire, he thought back to the young woman Vera had been. He remembered how she was all work and no fuss until after her shift and then, she’d go home and transform into…well…he grinned…all woman. Peter had given her that. She’d never been an overly fussy woman, but back then, when she’d put on a short skirt, a bit of makeup and tousle her hair, damn if the men weren’t jealous of Peter.

Looking at her now, he wondered what she’d be like if Peter hadn’t been killed. Would she have stayed with the police? Or would being a mother have taken the place of her career? He was sure he knew the answer to that. Vera, having lost her own mother at such a young age, would have left her career to be nothing but wife and mother, at least while her bairns were small.

“And you would have made a wonderful wife and mother if you’d have but given yourself the chance,” he whispered as he tenderly caressed the hair from her cheek. Looking back to the fire, he sipped at his drink. Maybe talking to Hu would do more than help Vera with this case. Maybe the part of her that had been damaged by Peter’s loss could finally be healed.


	19. Chapter 19

Vera yawned as she stared down into her tea cup. Hu had called and said he would be late by half an hour, so she’d sat down to study over the notes she’d brought home with her. The more she read what they said, the more she began to suspect the man they only knew as Michael, had known the Kingsleys long before he’d shown up pretending to be from P and C. That or he’d been watching Hellen and had decided to get closer.

If only they had a name.

How do you find someone without a name?

If she could see him, she could get a sketch made of him and they could put it about to see if anyone knew him, if anyone could give them a name. Then of course there was the fact that the man had probably fled the country by now.

She knew that he had to know they were looking for him, after that awful news story telling, and showing, how she looked like Hellen. The PR department had wisely left her alone on that score. For updates on the case, they only bothered Aiden, another wise choice as she suspected someone in that department had been responsible for the leak of her picture to the media.

Damn vultures.

They had their use, she knew that, but the story of how the inspector in charge of the latest murder looked like one of the victims, was going over the line.

Hearing a noise outside, she frowned and got up to go see if it was Hu. Turning the lock on the door and expecting to surprise Hu, she found herself staring into the piercing blue eyes of a stranger that made her skin crawl.

“Can I help you?”

“You just won’t leave me alone. Why won’t you learn your lesson? Why can’t you stop teasing me? I slit your throat. You’re supposed to be dead.”

Vera’s heart hammered in her chest. So they’d all been right, she had been in danger. Well, she’d told them over and over she could take care of herself…time to prove it, she supposed. “I’m not her, Pet.”

“Of course you are. Did you think coloring your hair would keep me from finding you?”

“I’m not her. My name is Vera.”

“Did Mr. Kingsley tell you that lying to me would save you?”

“I’m not lying, Pet. Let me get my coat, and I’ll show you me ID. You’ll see I’m not her.” Vera backed up slow and easy, her eyes never leaving those of the crazed man on her doorstep. She supposed she didn’t need Hu’s help to know what the killer looked like now.

“You can’t escape me. You couldn’t before. Having sex with him when you turned me down. You’re all alike.”

“It wasn’t me.” Vera denied again, bumping into a chair and moving around it, her goal the kitchen and a knife to use if necessary. “I have a friend coming. He can help you understand why you killed the Kingsleys.”

“I killed Martin because he took what was mine. You. You’re mine, not his.”

“But I’m not yours. I wasn’t his. I’m Vera Stanhope.” Vera watched the young man follow her and fought to keep her wits about her. Reaching the kitchen, she moved toward the sink. “What if I make you a cup of tea? Would you like that?”

“I don’t want tea. I came for you.”

“What’s your name? I know it isn’t Michael. Tell me, Pet.”

“Since you’ll never be able to tell anyone, I will. It’s Steven.”

“Steven, I’m not Hellen. I’m Vera. I just look like Hellen. Look at me. Hellen couldn’t possibly have changed her figure this much in such a short time.”

Steven shook his head. “Stop, Mrs. Kingsley. I know it’s you. You’re just trying to get rid of me again, but it won’t work this time. I’m taking you with me to where no one can find you.”

“My friends won’t like that,” she whispered, her hand slowly reaching into her pocket and hitting the talk button on her mobile twice, knowing that it would dial Shep’s mobile as she’d been the last one she’d talked to just before arriving home.

“What are you doing?”

Vera shook her head and pulled her hand out, thankful that she had a small packet of biscuits in her pocket to backup her lie. “Nothing but grabbing my biscuits. I thought they’d go nicely with the tea.”

“We won’t be drinking tea.”

 

~*~

 

Shep answered her mobile when it buzzed on her desk, the number on the screen telling her it was Vera. “Boss,” she said, expecting Vera to tell her why she’d called. All she got was Vera’s voice, muffled by something and an unfamiliar voice that made her eyes grow wide. “Kenny! Aiden!” she yelled as she laid her mobile on her desk and put it on speaker.

“What is it?” Aiden asked as he looked at her from his desk.

“Get over here and listen. Kenny, send uniforms out to Vera’s. He’s there.”

Aiden’s eyes widened as he half ran to Shep’s desk, holding his breath as he listened to Vera trying to talk the man down like she’d done so many times. “It’s like he isn’t hearing what she’s saying.”

“We need to go.” Shep said. “My firearm’s in the car. Come on.” She grabbed her mobile and rushed out of the room, Aiden’s foot falls sounding behind her.

“Kenny, stay here and track Vera’s mobile.” Aiden shouted just before leaving the incident room, hot on Shep’s heels.

She was already in her car by the time Aiden rushed down the front steps. His heart was hammering in his chest, but not from running. Fear had griped him and all he could think about was what would they do if they arrived and found Vera, but he shook his head. No. She said she could take care of herself.

Shep nearly squealed the tires as she sped out of the parking lot. She didn’t much care that she was breaking speeding laws, she only cared about getting to Vera before…she couldn’t even bring herself to think it. Vera was going to be waiting for them with a smirk on her face. She’d said over and over again that she could take care of herself.

 

~*~

 

Vera had moved away from the sink when Steven started to grab for her. “I’m not Hellen. Look around, there are no pictures of my family. No pictures of children, a husband. Nothing because I’m not her.” She continued to talk even as she spotted a knife on the table.

“Why do you keep lying to me?” Steven yelled as he moved around the table. “You can’t get away. You’re trapped. I won’t let you get away this time. You’re mine. I carved it into your back.”

“But I don’t have anything carved on my back. Steven, why did you kill Hellen and Martin?”

“I killed Mr. Kingsley because he took what was mine.”

“But she wasn’t yours.”

“You are mine.”

Vera was getting exasperated with the man. It was as if he only heard her when she didn’t deny she was Hellen. How long had he been obsessed with the woman? The way Steven was acting, his obsession started long before he started working on the grounds at the Kingsley’s home. “When did I meet you?” she asked, finally deciding to play along, hoping he wouldn’t notice her slowly moving closer to the table so she could get the knife.

“At the hospice. You ran into me one day,” he answered, reaching out and grabbing her just as her hand nearly had the knife. “What are you doing?” he screamed and shook her.

Vera felt her eyes water as the knuckles of his hand met her cheek when he backhanded her. She had no answer so she just tried to wriggle herself free of his grasp, her free hand reaching up to wipe the blood from her mouth. His grip tightened and she felt herself being dragged out of the kitchen. “Where are you taking me?”

“Home where you belong.”

“But I am home,” she argued, giving up on pretending to be Hellen. That had done nothing for her.

 

~*~

 

“Kenny.” Aiden answered his mobile when it rang. They were nearly to Vera’s and things weren’t sounding good on Vera’s end when they could actually hear what was being said. She seemed to be moving about and something in her pocket was clacking against her mobile. “Damn it.”

Shep glanced at her passenger. “What is it?”

“They’re on the move. That’s why it’s been hard for us to hear. Kenny said they’re heading South.”

“Where could the man possibly be taking her?”

“I have no idea. I don’t know this place like Vera does.”

“I don’t, either. None of us do. Maybe Billy?” Shep suggested.

Aiden nodded. “I hate to worry him more than he already is.”

“Can’t be helped. We have to know.”

Dialing Billy’s number, Aiden waited for the answer. “Billy, he’s taken her.”

Shep listened to Aiden’s side of the conversation. She could tell Billy wasn’t taking the news well, and from Aiden’s disappointed, “Oh,” she realized that Billy didn’t know the area well, either. Now what?

Aiden sighed as he ended the call. “Now what do we do?” he asked, echoing his partner’s thoughts without realizing it.

“Kenny. Call him and see what he knows. Maybe if he doesn’t know it well, he’ll know someone who does.”

“Billy said that Vera was expecting someone at ten this morning.”

“I haven’t heard anyone other than her and Steven.”

“At least we have a name.” Aiden scowled.

“No last name, though. She’s been too busy trying to convince him she isn’t Mrs. Kingsley to think of asking him his last name.”

“I doubt if we’d hear it now anyway. He must have stuffed her in the back of a van.”

“Or the boot of a car.” Shep whispered.

“Bloody hell.” Aiden breathed then dialed Kenny’s work number. “Are they still on the move?” he asked when the older man picked up. “What?” he listened then frowned. “What do you mean they seem to have just stopped?” Rolling his head back and forth, Aiden listened to Kenny then sighed, “Do you know the area? We need someone that does because Shep and I are lost out here if we go beyond Vera’s.”

Shep sighed. What bad news had Kenny delivered now? Stopping? Where? They’d just pulled into Vera’s and there was nothing as far as the eye could see so where could the man have possibly stopped?


	20. Chapter 20

Twenty-four hours.

Twenty-four bloody hours.

That’s how long she’d been missing.

Was she still alive?

They’d found her mobile in the rode, blood on the buttons.

Was it hers?

Or had she managed to hurt her kidnapper before he’d tossed her mobile?

All of these questions were being thrown about the incident room as Vera’s crew sat staring at the board, her face staring back at them as a victim. Her picture’s presence was more startling to them than the photo of the woman that looked like their boss had been.

“Where is she?” Aiden whispered as he stared at the board.

“I don’t know. The second search team started out an hour ago.”

“We should be out there.” Aiden frowned.

“No.” Shep shook her head. “We have to stay here. We have a name now, at least a first name, and you said you heard him say that Mrs. Kingsley had run into him at the hospice. There’s only one close by the Kingsley home.”

Kenny nodded. “I’ll go check it out. I can ask around and see if they remember a Steven. Maybe he worked there.”

“Or maybe he has a family member or friend there.” Shep added.

“But Steven is a common name. There might be dozens of them that have come through there.” Aiden pointed out.

“I know, but it’s all we’ve got, and I have to do something since they won’t let us go out to search again until our team is needed.”

“And dear god, I hope we aren’t.” Shep breathed.

 

~*~

 

“I’m sorry, Billy.” Hu apologized for at least the sixth time since he’d heard that Vera was missing. “She was so sure she could take care of herself.”

“Because she usually can. She can do more with her words than anyone waving a gun about can do.”

“But this man wasn’t waving a gun about.”

“That we know of. He might have pulled one on her to make her go with him. Shep said they could hear Vera arguing with the man just before things became too garbled for them to understand.” Billy wiped at his eyes as he stared out his office window. “Where are you?” he whispered.

Hu watched his friend, worried what it would do to him if they didn’t find Vera alive. He didn’t think Billy was in love with her, but the history they had between them made their friendship run deep. “What was she like when she was younger?”

Billy shook his head and chuckled, “She was always showing the men in her academy classes up and they treated her nastily for it. Until Peter came along, that is. The man was just about as quick a thinker as Vera, and a lot of times could beat her at her own game. They were always competing, but he was also flirting with her, bringing out the woman in her that had gotten lost in her efforts to prove to her father that she wasn’t worthless like he’d always told her she was. If she’d been a son, or if she’d have been at all interested in learning and carrying on his weird fascination with birds, he might have treated her differently. Peter, well…with Peter she blossomed and damn, was she a fine looking woman. She’d get off her shift, go home and change into a short skirt, put a bit of makeup on and tousle her hair and stroll into the pub, turning heads as she went, her eyes only on Peter. Before she knew what was happening, she’d fallen in love with him and he was proposing to her.”

“Why were they never able to solve his murder?”

Billy looked down into his now cold cup of tea. “Vera doesn’t know.”

“But you do.”

“Yes.” Billy whispered.

“She doesn’t know that you know. It wasn’t protecting her that got him killed, was it?”

“Yes, that was the reason he was killed. It’s just that the person that murdered him was never found because,” Billy paused then turned at looked at Hu. “She can’t know this. You have to promise me that this part is under patient confidentiality.”

“Billy? What are you trying to say?”

“Agree first.”

“Fine. Now tell me. Who was after Vera? Who was Peter protecting her from?”

“Another copper. Vera had stumbled upon something that was leading her straight to a trail of corruption going on in the CID. Peter heard bits and pieces of whispered conversations and put two and two together. The day he was killed, they were waiting to kill Vera. She’d agreed to meet a contact in that alley, not knowing she was being setup. Peter managed to make it so she was running late and showed up instead.”

“But why can’t she know? Surely if she knew, as good as she is, she could find the person and put them where they belong.”

“You don’t understand. The copper was just a cog in the mechanism. The corruption went much higher. With Peter’s death…” Billy paused and looked out the window, wondering if he should go further with the truth.

“Billy, I’ve already given my word this will go no further than us. What is it?”

“A friend of ours that committed suicide a few years ago made a deal with these people after they learned Vera hadn’t been killed. He knew who the copper was, Peter had confided in him, so he told the man to tell his bosses that he would make sure Peter’s case went cold and that Vera wouldn’t go nosing about. The deal was, they left her alone. What they didn’t know was that Stewart already knew that Vera was planning to put in for a transfer so his offer of her not nosing around wasn’t really much of anything. They kept to their end of the deal, though, and Vera has been kept in the dark ever since.”

“She never suspected she’d been set up when she found Peter in the alley?”

“Oh, yes, she did. She just never suspected some of her own as the culprits.”

“And who besides you knows the truth? How _do_ you know the truth?”

“Stewart told me so that I would know not to stir things up with Vera. When he died, that left me and two others that know the truth.”

“Was it another copper that killed Peter?”

“No. They have people that do that sort of thing.”

“What do you mean, have? You mean they’re still out there?”

“Yes, but it’s never been here. She’s always been safe here.”

“Until now.” Hu whispered, wishing once again that he hadn’t been running behind. If only he’d been on time, he’d have been there to protect her. “She knew he would come after her,” he whispered.

Billy nodded. “Yes, I think she did.”

“She didn’t want anyone to be hurt protecting her. That’s why she kept telling her crew she could take care of herself.”

“Yes. She’s a stubborn woman, very set in her ways. But she’s never faced something like this before and…”

“Don’t think like that. Trust what you know about her.”

“I do trust her instincts and will to survive. It’s what I know about the man that has her that scares me.”


	21. Chapter 21

Vera woke and found herself on a bed in a strange room. Her head hurt, her face was still sore from where Steven had hit her, and her split lip throbbed. She had no idea where she was, her mobile had been thrown into the road when Steven had discovered it. She still wasn’t sure what it was that had tipped him off to the fact that her mobile was in her pocket, but she’d wound up with another backhand to the face for the subterfuge.

Blinking her eyes to clear them the rest of the way, she looked around the room and found herself staring at a wall full of pictures of Hellen and…her. Eyes widening in shock, she studied the pictures and realized Steven had been following her ever since the news story broke about her and Hellen’s resemblance.

“Dear god,” she whispered. She hadn’t known.

How had she not known she was being followed?

She’d known Aiden and Shep were following her but they weren’t always with her. These pictures she knew were taken the times she was by herself.

Was she losing her touch?

Should she start thinking about retirement?

She should have known.

She should have felt someone watching her.

Her mind had been…tired.

No rest of any sort had made her tired which had led to, well…she looked at the pictures of herself again…this.

Moving her arms about, she wondered why Steven hadn’t tied her up. Did he think she wouldn’t fight when he came back?

She rolled her eyes at herself.

Why wouldn’t he think that?

He’d knocked her out easily enough.

And, because he thought she was Hellen…except, Hellen had fought back as best she could. The skin found under her nails was proof enough of that.

Shivering, Vera realized it was cold in the room. Looking around, she spotted a bottle of water across the room on the table under the pictures. She wasn’t sure why the water was over there, but she was thirsty so she slid to the edge of the bed and looked down for her shoes and frowned.

“Where the bloody hell are me shoes?” she grumbled. Shaking her head, she took a bracing breath then placed her feet on the floor, cursing at the cold seeping into her. Steven must have thought she wouldn’t try to run away without shoes.

“Shows how much he knows about me,” she muttered. Of course, the man’s mind thought she was Hellen, and Vera was sure Hellen hadn’t been raised as she was. Vera herself had grown up wandering about the moors, any area her father might find a raptor’s nest to raid, or a raptor to kill.

She remembered the story she’d told Joe about her father and her being stranded on the little island when she was seven. That was only one time out of more than she could count that she proved she could take care of herself. If Steven thought to keep her here, that taking her shoes away would keep her here, he was sorely mistaken.

She wasn’t going to be another victim.

 

~*~

 

Vera looked up when the door opened, her eyes falling to the garment Steven had in his hand. There was no way she could fit into that, it was Hellen’s size not hers, and even if she could…the hell she would.

“I’ve brought this for you. I thought it would make our night together more special.”

“There isn’t going to be a night together. I’m not her, damn it all! I’m Vera! Can’t you see that this body would never fit into that?”

Steven growled as he threw the garment at Vera. “Put it on! I bought it for you and I want to see you in it. If you can wear the things you did…” he pointed toward the pictures on the wall then continued, “…for him, then you can wear this for me.”

“Except I can’t!” Vera yelled back as she held the nearly transparent material against her. “I can’t!” she yelled again as she showed Steven how it wouldn’t work for her.

“You will! Why are you doing this? Didn’t you enjoy our kisses? We could be so good together. I can give you so much more than he ever could.” Steven moved toward her, cupping Vera’s cheek before she could move away. “I’m younger. I can make love to you in ways he didn’t even know. You’re beautiful, you deserve to be made love to over and over and over.”

Vera sighed, “But I’m not Hellen. You don’t love me. You need someone younger, prettier. Someone that can keep up with you and make love all night long.”

“But we will make love all night long. I can make you forget to eat. I know how to please a woman. I’d never cheat on you, not like he did. You deserve more than that.”

“Steven, I’m hungry. I’ve not had anything to eat since the bit of toast I had at breakfast,” she decided to try another tactic. Maybe if she distracted him with hunger of the food variety, she could buy herself more time to try and figure out what to do about the hunger he clearly had for her…for Hellen.

“I have our meal started, it will be done when you’ve bathed and changed. Come,” he tugged on her hand, holding it tight enough that Vera couldn’t help but follow.

Following as best she could without stumbling, Vera’s eyes widened when she was led into a bathroom where a tub full of steaming water and bubbles sat waiting for her. There were candles lit about the room and she felt herself start to panic a bit at the thought that Steven might be planning to join her, but then she calmed when she remembered that he’d only mentioned her bathing, not them.

“It’s your favorite bubbles.”

Vera nodded, not wanting to argue that she much preferred no bubbles or a shower. “Thank you,” she finally decided on.

“I want you to have the things you like.” Steven whispered then let go of her hand and left the room, the sound of the lock turning echoing in his wake.

“So much for trust.” Vera mumbled then shrugged her shoulders. At least he was leaving her with her own clothes. Walking over to the tub, she stuck a finger in the water to test the temp and found it to be just about right. “Another thing Hellen and I had in common,” she whispered before deciding she might as well take the bath since she’d been here now for she was sure was more than a day and possibly longer.

“Just how the bloody hell are you going to get yourself out of wearing this?” she asked her reflection in the mirror before looking at the offending garment in her hand.

As she stripped and climbed into the tub, she repeated her mantra.

“I will not be another victim.”

 

~*~

 

Vera was dressed and sitting on the side of the tub when she heard the lock turn and the door open. Seeing the scowl on Steven’s face, she knew she was in for another fight, but she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, wear the garment…negligee, her mind supplied as if taunting her…he’d provided.

“Why aren’t you dressed?”

“I am.”

“You’re not wearing what I told you I wanted you to wear.”

“Because, as I told you, it won’t fit me. I’m not Hellen.”

“Put it on.”

“No.”

Stalking over to her, Steven grabbed her around the throat, grunting when Vera stomped on his toes with the heel of her foot. Tightening his grip, his ice blue eyes bore into hers. “Put it on, or I will.”

Vera struggled, clawing at his hand before kicking him in the shin, wishing all the while she had her shoes to give her kicks more impact. Doing her best not to show her fear, she held Steven’s cold stare, her mind repeating, _I will not be a victim_ , over and over.

Keeping his hand around her throat, Steven used his free hand to unbutton Vera’s shirt. Getting half of the buttons undone, his gaze drifted down to her chest, desire merging with the madness at the sight of her cleavage. Caressing his fingers over the soft skin of her chest, he looked back up just in time for Vera to break free.

Vera had felt the hand around her neck loosen when Steven’s attention was drawn to her breasts, or rather, the bit of them he’d exposed when he’d unbuttoned part of the buttons on her shirt. She felt her skin crawl with the look in his eyes and the feel of his hand touching her, but she’d had worse and wasn’t about to let the opportunity to try and break free pass her by. Jerking as hard as she could, she freed her neck, stomped his foot then shoved him, knocking him off balance enough that she was able to get around him and run. Going as fast as she could, she was almost to the front door when she felt him grab her, the arm around her neck suddenly taking her mind to the images she’d seen in the haunting.

_“No more thinking of it, Love. Only think about now, about us right now.”_

_Hellen sat up and smiled as she pushed against Martin to make him lay back against the pillows. Holding his gaze, she began to move over him again, smiling at the groan that slipped from his lips._

_“Yes, Love. Just like that.” Martin moaned._

_“Marty,” she breathed._

_“Hellen.” Martin whispered her name as he reached up to cup a breast, teasing the taut nipple and making her whimper._

_“Ooh.” Hellen threw her head back, arching her back and pushing her breast further into his kneading hand._

_An arm around her neck caused Hellen to gasp and stop moving, her hands frantically tugging, fingers clawing at the flesh she uncovered._

_“Hellen! What the hell?!” Martin yelled, trying but failing to move, his legs pinned from Hellen’s position and the way their attacker was holding her. He squirmed, but stopped when he saw the face staring at him from over Hellen’s shoulder. “Michael,” he breathed. “Let her go.”_

“Let me go!” Vera managed a strangled yell as she fought against Steven, having more freedom to move than Hellen and Martin had, but still struggling. The man was strong, and much larger than she was, but she wasn’t giving in. She’d fight with every ounce of her strength until she had nothing left.

She was not going to be another victim.


	22. Chapter 22

“Yes!” Kenny shouted as he walked into the incident room.

“Have they found her?” Aiden asked as he turned toward the shout.

Kenny shook his head. “No, but I have a full name for our suspect. His fingerprint _was_ in the system.”

“Well?”

“Steven Franklin, better know to his friends as Michael.”

Aiden blinked in surprise at that. “You mean we’ve had the right name all along?”

“At least part of it. He’s always gone by his middle name according to the people I talked to. They all said that he started acting oddly about a year ago. None of them thought too much about it because his mother had just died.”

“Oh god.” Aiden felt sick.

Kenny nodded. “According to the people at the hospice, he and his mother had a very odd relationship. Some of them said they felt very uncomfortable in the same room with them. He was there every day, and they remember him nearly knocking Mrs. Kingsley down. That happened the day his mother died. He’d rushed from his mother’s room and didn’t see Mrs. Kingsley until he was reaching out to keep her from falling.”

“Do any of his friends have any idea where he might have gone?”

“They all said he talked about a house he was going to fix up and live in, but they only knew of the place he’d been living until just a few weeks ago.”

Aiden’s shoulders sagged. “Let me guess…the mysterious neighbor that’s never home when we go to talk to them.”

“Exactly.”

“Good god. He was there all the time. He’s been watching her for over a year.” Aiden drug his fingers through his hair.

“Picking up Vera’s habits.” Kenny remarked as he sat down.

“What?”

“Your fingers dragging through your hair.”

Aiden looked at his fingers then caught a glimpse of his hair in his monitor and shrugged while trying to get it to lay back down. “Wasn’t even thinking.”

“Heard anything from Shep?”

“Not for the last couple of hours. She may not have service.”

“It’s been forty-eight hours.” Kenny whispered as he stared at the information he’d brought up on Steven Michael Franklin.

“How long has he been in this area?” Aiden asked, choosing to ignore Kenny’s comment on how long it had been since Vera had been taken. He didn’t want to think about it, about what the hours ticking by meant for his boss.

“From this it seems that he was gone for about ten years. The timeline seems to line up with when his father died. His friends that I talked to did say that he and his father never got along.”

“And no wonder.” Aiden murmured, still feeling queasy at the thoughts going round in his head about Steven and his mother.

“Look here.” Kenny pointed at information on the screen. “That explains the truck.”

“Bloody hell. He did work for P and C. But how do they not know they’re missing a duty vehicle?”

Kenny shrugged. “No idea. We’d know it if one of ours was missing.”

“Did you ever call them like Vera asked?”

“I did, but they were going to have to check their records. They said it would take a few days because of how many they had.”

“But couldn’t they have just gone over their service records for each vehicle and found the one that hadn’t been serviced like the others?”

“That’s what I suggested. Apparently that isn’t how they do things.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Vera would’ve loved that answer.”

Kenny chuckled, “They wouldn’t have loved her response.”

“No, not at all.” Aiden moved back to his own desk, his eyes landing on the picture of his son holding the rabbit Vera had bought for him; a stuffed animal that had become the baby’s favorite. He didn’t know when it had happened, but somehow Vera had wormed her way into his affections and he cared about her in a way he hadn’t cared about any other person he’d worked with…any other boss he’d had.

“She can do that to you.” Kenny commented as though he’d read Aiden’s mind.

“What?” Aiden asked, clearly confused.

“Worm her way into your life and make you care. Brash old cow, but you can’t help but care about her.” Kenny shook his head. “Never did figure how she did that.”

“What if we don’t find her?” Aiden turned to look at the older man. “Have you ever lost a boss?”

“No, and we aren’t going to lose her. I wasn’t kidding when I said she could take care of herself.”

“If she could take care of herself, search teams wouldn’t be out looking for her.”

“She can take care of herself.” Kenny insisted. “She’s alive. Our guy may be bigger than her, but I guarantee he’s realized she isn’t easy to control.”

“But if he’s as much of a mad man as he seems to be, her fighting him will only anger him.”

“Trust me.” Kenny held Aiden’s gaze. “Trust her.”

 

~*~

 

Shep shivered as the wind blew around her, her lips were chapped, her mouth parched from lack of water to drink. She’d ran out an hour ago and hadn’t wanted to backtrack and leave the search.

It had been too bloody long.

They’d found nothing. The tracks that they’d found at Vera’s had led them so far, but then the tracks had circled back after Vera’s mobile had been left in the road. She and Aiden had followed them, but the dirt road they’d been on only went so far before they were on pavement again and no way to track.

Whatever he’d been driving, he could have turned back around and went across the moors instead of using the road or simply switched vehicles. Whoever he was, he knew the area, that much had become evident after a few hours of searching when they turned up absolutely nothing. As the hours dragged on, and they continued to come up empty handed, it became more and more apparent that he had no intentions of anyone ever finding them.

Shep looked at her watch and realized it had been several hours since she’d checked in with the guys and pulled out her mobile. Raising an eyebrow in surprise at the bar of signal she had, she paused and dialed, hoping the signal didn’t disappear before she got through.

“Hey Kenny. Any news on your end?” Shep asked. Listening to what they’d learned, it drained even more of the hope she’d been holding on to. “Nothing, Kenny. There’s nothing,” she answered his query about how the search was going. “What? An abandoned house he was working on. Thanks, Kenny. I’ll pass it along and we’ll turn our search in that direction.” Shep felt hopeful once again and turned around, hurrying back toward base to let the leader of the team know what she’d just learned.

They needed to turn their search toward all the abandoned homes in the area. If Steven was as delusional as he sounded, Vera might well be…she stopped. No. The woman was not dead.

She couldn’t be.

What would they do without her?

She was what kept them going, what made them the team they were.

Her yelling and shouting kept them on their toes and made them better at their jobs.

Shep had never had a boss like Vera before. She’d treat them like equals as long as they were doing their best, but one misstep, when she knew they could do better, and they wound up in the doghouse as Kenny put it.

Pausing to take a breath, she looked out at the land surrounding her. It was vast and wide open space as far as the eye could see. “Vera, where the bloody hell are you?”

 

~*~

 

“They’re putting another team out to search the abandoned homes.” Kenny said after he’d hung up the phone from Shep’s call just an hour after he’d talked to her last.

Aiden nodded then yawned. “I’m going to go home for a few hours. You should to. We won’t do Vera any good if we’re not rested for our turn in the search.”

Kenny nodded as he closed the window he’d been working in on his computer. “I was just about to suggest the same. The night shift knows to call us if anything comes in and Shep will call one of us before she calls anyone if they find something.”

“My wife keeps asking about Vera, if we’ve found her. She’s only met the woman once, but she already cares. She even calls her my work wife. What utter rubbish.” Aiden rolled his eyes.

Kenny chuckled. “Joe’s wife was always sending invites for Vera to join them for a meal. She spent a lot of time frustrated with Vera, but she also cared. It’s just the way it is with Vera. She frustrates the hell out of you, yelling and shouting at you, and yet you care when she’s hurt or missing.”

“I’ve heard about her being poisoned on a case a few years ago. That must have scared the hell out of DS Ashworth.”

“It did. She thought of him as a son, if truth were told. He’d somehow managed to get to know her better than all of us and knew how to push all the right buttons and get by with it. He was so close to her, she asked him to spread her father’s ashes.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow at that. “Wow. They were close. No wonder she kept slipping and calling me DS Ashworth when she’d introduce me to people we were talking to in relation to a murder.”

“Go on home. See that little man of yours before he goes down for the night so he doesn’t forget who you are.”

Aiden smiled as he looked at the picture of his son sitting on his desk. “Do you know that Vera gave him the rabbit he’s holding in that picture? It’s his favorite out of every stuffed animal he has.”

“That’s another thing she seems to have a surprise knack for, for someone who is an only child and has never had a child of her own.” Kenny shook his head as he remembered the little boy Vera had saved several years ago.

“What?”

“She saved a little boy several years ago. His mother had been murdered and he’d witnessed part of it before the mum told him to run and hide. He was so frightened, and running in the dark, that he wound up in the water. Vera found him and pulled him out. She got him to breathe again and saved his life. He was attached to her. When it was time for him to go to a foster home, the hospital called to see if she would come talk to him because he was refusing. He was comfortable around her, more so than anyone else.”

“Well, I suppose anyone would be if the person had saved their lives.”

“Yes, but you know how Vera is. Does she strike you as someone children would be comfortable around?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“Right. Well, they are though, that’s the oddity. They always are.”

“I remember. The little girl that found the body from when,” Aiden stopped and sighed. That had been a horrible time. Vera had been heartbroken by the loss of Bethany.

“And that’s why we care.” Kenny whispered. “She cares in her own strange way.”

Aiden nodded and stood up. “We have to find her. We need her.”

“Yes we do. And we will. Remember. Trust her.” Kenny smiled at the younger man. “Just trust her.”


	23. Chapter 23

Vera moaned as she opened her eyes. She could barely breathe, she suspected it was because a rib had been broken and punctured a lung in her fight with Steven. He’d grabbed her by the door and she’d fought which led to him backhanding her. He’d knocked her into the table, the edge of which had hit her across the ribs. It had hurt like hell, but had given her a chance to grab the knife that had been at the place setting, something she wondered momentarily at. Why would he set the table with knives? But then she’d shook the wild thought off and kicked back with her leg, hitting him in the knee as he rushed her, giving herself time to turn.

And from there it was a blur as to how she wound up here on the floor where she found herself sprawled in an odd position, Steven lying a few feet away. She could see blood on his shirt and pant leg, so she must have managed to cut or stab him, but she wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead.

And she didn’t want to wait and find out.

Taking as deep a breath as she could, and coughing because of it, she bit the inside of her bottom lip as she pushed herself up. She wished she had her shoes, but she wasn’t about to take the time to look for them. Her legs hurt, her back hurt, her whole body hurt, but she fixed her eyes on the door and concentrated on getting to it, getting out.

And then a thought struck her.

She didn’t know where she was.

Maybe Steven had a mobile?

Turning to look at the man, she thought a moment and made up her mind.

Carefully maneuvering herself over to him, she bent down and searched his pockets, at least the two she could access, and came up empty handed. No mobile, not even keys so that she could drive herself out of here.

Straightening back up, she moaned and gasped, closing her eyes against the onslaught of vertigo the action had caused. Feeling herself capable of opening her eyes and moving without falling, Vera slowly made her way about the room, looking for a mobile and finding it by the stove.

“Thank you,” she muttered. “Damn it all,” she cursed a moment later when she realized there was no signal. Thankfully the man wasn’t one to carry a smartphone and she was able to access the phone. She’d take it with her and use it when a signal was available. Even if she didn’t know where she was, her team could track the phone once she made the call.

Looking around, hoping to spy keys, she shook her head and gave up. She’d learned from a friend of her father’s how to start a vehicle without a key, something she’d never let anyone know, but something she was thankful for now.

Stumbling her way to the door, she heard Steven moan and looked back just as he started to move. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she unlocked the door and ran out, stumbling a bit as she looked around for any sort of vehicle, she ran around the back and huffed out a breath.

A truck.

An older model truck which would make it easier for her to start.

Bending nearly knocked her on her arse, but she fought through it and pulled the wires out from under the dash and steering column. As she concentrated on what she was doing and not passing out, she missed the sound of someone coming up behind her until it was too late.

Grunting when a fist hit her spine, she went down and hit her head on the side of the truck. A hand in her hair, trying to yank her up, made her angry and she kicked out, catching Steven in the knee and knocking him down.

Again her mantra bounced around her head.

I will not be another victim.

 

~*~

 

Vera opened her eyes minutes later, or hours, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she was again in the house and on the floor, the body next to her dead this time if the blood flowing out of his mouth was any indication.

She had blurry images of being dragged back into the house, of Steven screaming at her, but she wasn’t sure what was real because it was all mixed up with images she’d seen from Hellen haunting her.

Gasping for air, she tried to move and realized that she wasn’t going anywhere. The hit to her back had done some damage and she realized she couldn’t feel her legs. The mobile in her pocket had come out in her fall and was just out of the reach of the one hand she could move. Crying out as she stretched her arm as far as she could, she fought against passing out as she dragged the mobile to her.

As she pushed the talk button, she could only remember one number.

“Billy, help me,” she gasped just before losing her fight, darkness overtaking her as she slipped into unconsciousness.

 

~*~

 

“Vera!” Billy shouted as he rushed out of his office, Hu following along behind in confusion. “Vera, talk to me, Love. Where are you?” he tried again but got nothing. Looking at his phone to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped, he kept saying her name, his heart in his throat at the thoughts that filled his mind as to what was happening to keep her from talking to him.

“Kenny!” Billy yelled as he rushed into the incident room. “It’s her. Can you locate the mobile?”

Kenny nodded and went into action, pulling up the program he needed. “What’s she saying?”

“She only said one thing, Billy help me. Now it’s just nothing. I’ve said her name over and over. I even checked to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped.” Billy looked at Kenny. “What do you need to find her?”

“The number.”

Billy held his phone out so that Kenny could see the number on the screen. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest even though he’d been standing still now for long enough that it should have calmed from his rush out of his office to the incident room. He knew it wouldn’t calm until he knew if Vera was okay.

Hu clasped Billy’s shoulder and squeezed, getting the other man’s attention. “Calm down. She needs you to be strong for her.” Nodding to the mobile, he smiled at Billy. “Keep talking to her. Doesn’t matter what you say, just talk to her.”

“What if he hears me?”

Hu shook his head. “He would have ended the call by now.”

Taking a couple of deep breathes, Billy took his mobile back from Kenny and sat down on the sofa. “Vera, love, can you talk to me? I’ve missed you these last few days. There’s no one around to appreciate my cheek. None of your crew can do that smirk you do when I’ve given you just a bit too much cheek and you’ve gotten me back.”

Kenny listened to Billy talking to Vera and wondered how he’d never realized how close the two were. There was history there that none of them knew and probably never would if Vera had any say in it. “Got it!” he yelled then picked up his phone and dialed Aiden. “We’ve got her, Aiden.”

Hu listened to Kenny give Aiden Vera’s location and knew without question that Billy would be going and had no intentions of stopping him. He just hoped that Billy’s services weren’t needed when he got there.

 

~*~

 

“Vera!” Billy shouted as he rushed in, having managed to make it to the house before anyone else.

Hu was still trying to get his legs back under him after the wild ride he’d just taken in Billy’s rush to get to Vera, so he paused and watched Billy disappear inside. His friend’s voice calling Vera’s name, spurred him into action, and he ran in, pausing at the sight that greeted him. “Dear god,” he breathed. The place was like a disaster area. The table was knocked over, chairs scattered about, dishes broken with food mixed in with the glass.

“She’s barely breathing.” Billy whispered as he tenderly caressed Vera’s bruised cheek. “Look what he did to her.”

“But look what she did to him.” Hu pointed at the body he was kneeling beside. “He’s dead. Looking at him, she put up one hell of a fight.”

Billy nodded. “She learned how to defend herself. Peter taught her what the self-defense classes didn’t. When he asked why she wanted to learn more, she told him she had to know more to make up for her size.”

Hu watched Billy checking Vera’s pulse, knowing by the look on his friend’s face that it wasn’t good. “Talk to her, Billy. I can hear the sirens in the distance, they’re almost here. Just talk to her. Let her know you’re here. Trust me that she’ll hear you. I promise. She may not wake up, I doubt that she can, but she’ll know you’re here.”

Billy nodded, tears filling his eyes as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Vera’s head. “Hey, Sassy,” he chuckled. “Remember the first time I called you that? You nearly took my head off and Peter half laughed himself sick. I learned very quickly not to call you anything but Vera, that only Peter got by with calling you by a nickname. I remember him getting a few glares for calling you Vee in front of the others.”

Hu heard the others rushing in and gently tugged at Billy’s shoulder. “Let them do their work, Billy.”

Billy reluctantly moved back, looking up when he heard Shep’s voice. “He’s dead.”

Shep looked around the room then looked at Aiden and Kenny. “She put up one hell of a fight.”

Kenny nodded, his gaze never leaving Vera and the medical team working to stabilize her for transport. “I told the both of you. She can take care of herself,” he whispered.

Aiden felt sick when he saw all of Vera’s face and the scratches on her neck, the marks on her chest where her shirt had been unbuttoned. “He didn’t,” he started but couldn’t finish his sentence.

“It doesn’t look like it,” came from somewhere, though Aiden couldn’t tell who it was that said it.

“Dear god,” he breathed.

“I’m going with her.” Billy’s words filtered into the stunned trio’s minds and they all nodded.

“You’ll call when you know something?” Shep questioned as she touched his arm when he passed by.

“I will.” Hu told her, not sure Billy would be in any shape to make any sort of calls until it was positive that Vera would pull through.

Shep watched Billy follow the medical team out then turned her attention back to Hu. “Take care of him.”

“That’s why I’m going.”

“Is he in love with her?” Shep asked quietly when the other two moved off to see if there were any clues as to what had gone on.

“No. I don’t think so. I believe it’s just the history they share, the past that ties them together.”

Shep looked around to make sure no one was looking or listening. “He knows about her fiancé.”

“Yes. He was part of their inner circle of friends.” Hu studied the young woman. “I’m surprised you know about it.”

“She told me.” Shep shrugged. “I suppose this case brought us closer together being the only females on the crew. Has she told you about the case? She said you were a friend, that you got together and talked. I’m assuming you’re a therapist of some sort.”

“She told me about the case, yes. I know what the two of you saw, what that man did to the victims.” Reaching out, Hu squeezed Shep’s hand. “He didn’t do that to Vera. You can see the evidence of her fighting back all around you. She won, Shep. She won.”

“But did she really?”


	24. Chapter 24

_Martin looked up at Hellen, his hands on her hips, a smile turning up the corner of his mouth. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered._

_Hellen blushed, still not sure about this or of what she was doing. “Martin, I…”_

_“It’s alright,” he whispered as he gently guided her movements. “That’s it. Slow and easy.”_

_“Mmm,” she hummed as her body began to react to her movements._

_Skimming a hand up her side, Martin cupped a breast. “Gorgeous.”_

_Hellen shook her head. “You say the silliest things.”_

_Sitting up, Martin wrapped his arms around her. “Not silly. Truth, Love. It’s all truth.”_

_Nuzzling her face into his hand when he cupped her cheek, Hellen sighed as she settled against him, their bodies barely moving. “Is this what it’s supposed to be like?”_

_“Does it feel good?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Then yes, this is what it’s supposed to be like.”_

_“I missed out on so much.”_

_“No more thinking of it, Love. Only think about now, about us right now.”_

_Hellen sat up and smiled as she pushed against him to make him lay back against the pillows. Holding his gaze, she began to move over him again, smiling at the groan that slipped from his lips._

_“Yes, Love. Just like that.” Martin moaned._

_“Marty,” she breathed._

_“Hellen.” Martin whispered her name as he reached up to cup a breast, teasing the taut nipple and making her whimper._

_“Ooh.” Hellen threw her head back, arching her back and pushing her breast further into his kneading hand._

_An arm around her neck caused Hellen to gasp and stop moving, her hands frantically tugging, fingers clawing at the flesh she uncovered._

_“Hellen! What the hell?!” Martin yelled, trying but failing to move, his legs pinned from Hellen’s position and the way their attacker was holding her. He squirmed, but stopped when he saw the face staring at him from over Hellen’s shoulder. “Michael,” he breathed. “Let her go.”_

_“You’re mine.” Michael whispered against Hellen’s ear, tightening his arm around her neck when she struggled against him. Looking back at Martin, he shook his head. “Fight and I’ll slit her throat.”_

_Martin stilled and waited to see what the mad man was going to do next. “Just let her go. I’ll do whatever you want, just let her go.”_

_“She’s mine, but you’ve soiled her.”_

_Martin held Hellen’s gaze, his eyes telling her what he couldn’t say. He knew what being called soiled meant to his wife and he felt his heart breaking at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “She isn’t soiled, Michael, I’m her husband. You can’t soil someone that gives themselves to you freely out of love.”_

_“She’s mine. She loves me. Didn’t she tell you about us? I’ve seen her, you know. She’s beautiful in the bath with all of her bubbles and candles. But the things you make her wear. Why would you do that?”_

_Martin frowned. “I’ve never made her wear anything. She chooses her own clothes. Please, you’re hurting her. If you love her, let her go.”_

_Michael loosened his strangle hold, just enough to let Hellen breathe a bit easier, but continued to hold the knife to her throat. “No. She would never wear those. You. It’s all you.”_

_“Please.” Hellen whispered. “I wore them for me. I wanted to feel sexy. Martin didn’t know I had them until he saw them.”_

_“Lies. All lies. He cheated on you. Why are you trying to defend him?”_

_“I love him.” Hellen whispered then screamed when the knife plunged into Martin’s chest. “Martin! Martin! Oh god, what have you done?” she screamed over and over. Her face froze in horror when the knife sliced through Martin’s throat covering her in his blood._

_“See, you’re free now. And I’ve made you pure again. His blood made you clean for me.”_

_Hellen shook her head, and clawed at the arm around her neck once again. “I’m not yours! Martin!” she cried angering Michael who silenced her with his hand over her mouth._

_“You’re mine,” he breathed against her ear just before she felt the cool wet blade sliding along her throat, the burning of her skin being cut open flooding her body, her mouth open to scream but no sound coming out._

Vera’s scream nearly made Billy fall from the chair he’d been dozing in at the side of her bed. Standing, he grabbed her hand with one of his using his free hand to push the call button to alert a nurse. “Vera, it’s Billy,” he told her, her screams overpowering him until he was shouting. “Vera! Vera! It’s Billy! You’re safe now! I’m here and you’re safe!” he kept repeating the same thing over and over again even as the staff were rushing into the room and trying to push him out of the way. “She won’t respond to you,” he told them, refusing to leave her side. “Just work around me. Let me keep talking to her, please,” he begged, finally getting his way. “Vera! Follow my voice, love. I’m here. You’re safe. You’re safe. It’s just good old Billy. Come on, love.” Smiling when her eyes opened and the screams died, he gently caressed the damp hair from her forehead. “There’s my girl,” he whispered, chuckling at the glare he received in return. “Ah. Sorry. There’s my friend. Is that better?”

The staff continued to work around him, none of them trying to disturb him again, seeing the affect he had on their patient. She’d calmed considerably once he’d gotten through to her and she’d come out of her nightmare. The doctor had whispered that none of them were to try and make the man leave for any reason until the patient was completely out of the woods, which she wasn’t yet.

The screaming had aggravated the punctured lung and Vera’s breathing was growing ragged and shallow, making the doctor fear the lung had collapsed again. The thrashing about she’d done had probably caused a great deal of pain in her back from where her spine had been bruised, and had more than likely done the same with her broken and cracked ribs. The woman was lucky to be alive.

“She’ll be drifting back to sleep in a few moments,” the doctor told Billy, catching his attention away from Vera.

“She’ll only have the nightmare again.” Billy whispered as he sat down, his hand still holding Vera’s.

“We’ve sedated her pretty heavily in the hopes that the drug induced sleep will keep that from happening.”

“Let’s hope.” Billy sighed, knowing that it wasn’t a nightmare that had caused his friend to scream. He’d heard that blood curdling scream before. She’d been living the murder again, probably seeing it from beginning to end…at least what Hellen had seen until she’d died. He only hoped Vera’s own attack hadn’t been mixed into it as her memories of Peter had gotten mixed up with Hellen’s haunting only a week ago.

Hu watched Billy and knew what the man was thinking about. The two of them were the only ones that knew just what it was that had made Vera scream. Hellen had been haunting her again, this time with her own murder. “Marcus has finished the autopsy.”

Billy nodded. The younger man had come back several days ago, but had been assigned somewhere else until Hellen and Martin’s bodies were released…which they had been the day after Vera went missing. He’d told the young man that he was to keep out of the files pertaining to the Kingsley case per his orders and Vera’s request. Billy didn’t know if Marcus had followed orders or not, but at least he’d tried. “And?”

“She stabbed him in the leg and sliced his hand open. Those were the older wounds. He was bruised on the legs where she kicked him. He had nail marks on both arms, the ones on the left arm older and scabbed over.”

“Hellen.” Billy whispered.

“Yes. Vera gave him a good working over.”

“And what finally did him in?”

“He bled out from the wound in his stomach.”

Billy nodded and tenderly caressed the hand he held. “She’s tough. She had to be in horrible pain. Her back is so bruised they’re saying it’s going to be quite a while before she’s able to move about. She isn’t going to like that.”

Hu shook his head. “No, she isn’t. What about her head?”

“The gash on her forehead must have been from when she fell outside. I heard from Shep and she said that they found blood on the truck around behind the house. It sounds like Vera tried to get away and he caught up with her.” Looking up at his friend, Billy held his gaze. “You will help you, won’t you? She trusts you now and she’s going to need your help.”

“I’m here for the long hall, mate. You know that. And she isn’t the only one that needs me.”

Billy nodded. “You’re right. I’m going to need you, too.”

 

~*~

 

Aiden sat staring at the pictures they’d taken from the room Vera had obviously been held in at the abandoned house. He’d seen a lot since he’d become a copper, but this case was more than he seemed to be able to wrap his mind around.

There were intimate pictures of Hellen that could only have been taken from inside her home so they’d sent a team back to the house to search for hidden cameras and found them in the master bedroom and bathroom. One camera had even recorded video. They’d found them on the man’s laptop along with more photos of Mrs. Kingsley and Vera. Thankfully none of the photos of Vera were as intimate as the ones of Mrs. Kingsley, though some of the ones they’d found on the computer had been taken outside Vera’s home.

The thought of the man watching Vera made Aiden ill. If he and Shep hadn’t gone against Vera’s wishes and started watching her…he shook his head. No, he wasn’t going to think about that.

“Aiden.” Shep said his name as she squeezed his shoulder. “Stop staring at those and go home. Charlie is probably worried about you.”

Pointing at a photo of Vera, Aiden looked up at Shep. “This whole time, he was watching her. We should have been following her everywhere. This picture isn’t at her house.”

“We did what we could, Aiden.” Shep sighed as she sat down and looked at her colleague. “The real reason Vera kept saying she could take care of herself was because she didn’t want us to be hurt. She knew she was in danger.”

“I don’t understand. If she knew, why did she keep saying she wasn’t?”

“She was protecting us, Aiden. She cares about this whole team. You told me how heartbroken she was when Bethany was murdered. Think about what it would do to Vera if one of us were murdered protecting her.”

Aiden stared at Shep, realizing that she knew something she wasn’t telling and knowing that she wouldn’t if he asked. “Have you talked to Billy?”

“I have. She’s under heavy sedation. They’re monitoring her to make sure her lung hasn’t collapsed again. She had a nightmare and was screaming.”

“What did he do to her?” Aiden whispered as he looked back down at the picture of his boss.

“We’ll never really know unless Vera tells us, and I don’t expect her to do that. All we do know is that he didn’t rape her.”

“Just beat the shite out of her.”

“Her body will heal.” Shep squeezed Aiden’s arm. “Remember, she beat the shite out of him, too.”

Aiden chuckled a bit. “That she did. Do you think,” he paused then continued. “Do you think she’ll be okay once she realizes he’s dead?”

“I don’t know. If this was her first time killing someone, it will take a long time for her to come to terms with it. If it isn’t, she’ll face it a bit easier.”

“But it’s still going to be with her for the rest of her life. You know how she is. She doesn’t like to use force if it’s at all possible to do it peacefully.”

“I do know. I also know that she had no other choice and that she’s a strong woman. She has a crew that cares about her, and a friend who’s been by her side since we found her. She’s not alone, and that’s the first step to healing…people who care.”


	25. Chapter 25

“Are they really going to investigate this guy’s death?” Kenny scowled as he sat staring at the two people who had taken over Vera’s office in the last day and a half. Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed, “Hasn’t she been through enough?”

“They don’t seem to think so.” Aiden muttered.

Shep sighed as she sat down on the sofa. “Well they aren’t going to get very far when the only witness is being kept heavily sedated.”

“Why are they still keeping her sedated?”

“Because she screams if they don’t.” Shep answered quietly.

“Nightmares.” Kenny supplied. “She isn’t going to be the same when she comes back.”

“If she comes back.” Shep added. “Her spine was bruised badly. They’re not sure she’ll be able to walk.”

“How many times did he hit her there?”

“Once they’re sure of, but they think it might have been more than three times. It was the only way he could stop her, though in the end, it still wasn’t enough.”

“Scrappy.” Aiden mumbled.

Kenny chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t ever let her hear you say that.”

“She’ll have your head.” Shep added. “She’s a fighter which is why I say she’ll walk.”

Kenny nodded. “Even if it’s only to show the doctors up. She hates hospitals. Remember when she was poisoned?”

Shep rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yes, I do. She had no intention of spending twenty-four hours in hospital for observation.”

“What happened?”

“She spent about three.” Kenny laughed. “She said she found a doctor that agreed with her.”

“Ha!” Shep shook her head. “No, she didn’t. She harassed one until they gave in.”

Aiden chuckled. “She’s something else. I was never quite sure of her in the beginning. And then she did that insane stunt saving the man from jumping off the wall.”

Kenny grinned. “About gave you heart attack.”

“Yes, she did. I had thought my old lot were crazy and reckless…that was far above any stunt they ever pulled.”

“Yes, but she’s done more since then.” Kenny reminded.

“Yes, she has, but I’m used to it now. I wasn’t then. That was my first case here.”

“My first case with her was when I was still with the military police. She came in and did her job and wasn’t intimidated in the least by anyone. I was impressed. She offered me a job here when I was done with the military.”

“But you weren’t here when I came.” Aiden pointed out.

“No. I was briefly transferred to a different area, but after Bethany…”

“Vera wanted another woman on the crew.” Kenny finished. “She always liked you. And she’s never given you the grief she has the rest of us.”

“Oh, she has. Believe me. I screwed up and didn’t secure a flat once. She went to poke about and a man came in. She hid and sent a text to Joe.”

“I remember that.” Kenny nodded. “I didn’t realize she gave you a tongue lashing for it.”

“She didn’t. I wish she had.” Shep laughed. “She can do more without raising her voice than my superiors ever could in the MPs.”

“Yeah, well…she can do quite a lot when she raises her voice.” Kenny rolled his eyes. “Or throws a file at you.”

“What?” Aiden frowned.

“I was stupid and did something behind her back. She was fuming and shouting and I wouldn’t leave so she threw a file at me…scattered paper everywhere. She gave me the choice of suspension or transfer.”

“What did you do, man?” Aiden asked with wide eyes.

“Broke her trust.” Kenny sighed and looked down at his hands. “I was being stupid. I went home for suspension but she had Joe call me back in later than afternoon.”

“Sounds about like her. Scares you shiteless then smooths it over.” Shep couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“Yes.”

“You don’t think they’ll replace her, do you?” Aiden asked after a few moments of silence.

“They’ll have to. At least temporarily.”

“She won’t like that.”

“She’ll come back before she’s supposed to.”

“And give us orders from her desk and have us running around more than she already does.” Kenny looked toward Vera’s office. “But they don’t belong in there. She does.”

“They’re going through the case files to see if they can find anything to use against her.” Shep whispered.

Aiden looked at her. “And can they?”

“The only things that could possibly be in there, that aren’t out here with our things, are pictures she didn’t want you to see.”

“The pictures of how the bodies were found.” Aiden guessed.

“Yes.”

“Will they hold that against her?”

Kenny shrugged. “Who knows? It depends on whether or not someone has a grudge.”

 

~*~

 

Shep looked at Hu, studying the man and wondering if he felt more for Vera than even he realized. She knew from an earlier conversation that he wasn’t just a friend as Vera had said, that he was a therapist that she’d been discussing the case with and how it was affecting her. “Are you falling in love with her?” she whispered.

Hu raised an eyebrow and blinked in surprise at the question. “No,” he answered. “What makes you ask that?”

She shrugged. “Just wondering.”

Hu studied the young woman when she turned her attention back to watching Billy and Vera. What had made her ask him such a question? He hadn’t given any signs that he was in love with Vera, had he? He wasn’t, so he didn’t know how he possibly could have led the young woman to believe that he was.

“You know they’re investigating her and her part in Steven’s death.” Shep said after a few minutes.

“I do.”

“You’re a therapist, if they find out you were seeing her…”

“But I wasn’t. I was simply visiting a friend at her house for dinner and doing another friend the favor of making sure she wasn’t alone.”

“Billy knew.” Shep breathed. “He knew that they’d investigate her.”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him. He only asked one friend to do another friend a favor.”

“And you never put your meetings down on paper so they can’t prove you’re lying.”

“Who says that I am?” Hu countered.

“Fine. I won’t push. Just be careful. They’ve not said a word to any of us so far, but they will in time I’m sure.”

“None of you know anything.”

“Except I do.” Shep whispered as she looked into Vera’s room.

“But does what you know have anything to do with what happened at the abandoned house?” Hu gave her another way of looking at things.

Shep changed subjects. “They moved her to a private room.”

“Yes. Her screams were disturbing others on the ward.” Hu answered the question in her statement, knowing what she was doing and allowing it.

“I thought the sedation was supposed to help with that.”

“It does…mostly.”

“You haven’t kept something from us, have you?” Shep asked, looking up at Hu.

“Not where her condition is concerned. She’s been through a traumatic experience and she’s not really been coherent enough to realize she’s safe. I’m sure she’s also dreaming about everything that happened.” Hu assured Shep, not telling her that he and Billy suspected Vera was still being haunted by Hellen’s memories of the day she and Martin were murdered.

“Will you help her?” Shep asked a few moments later.

“I’ll do my best, but she’ll have to want me to help her. I’m not sure she’ll talk to anyone.”

“She’ll talk to Billy.”

Hu nodded. “Yes. If she opens up to anyone, it will be Billy. She may fight him before she talks to him.”

“She doesn’t like being fussed over, so I’m sure there will be fighting.” Shep chuckled as she thought back to when Vera was poisoned.

“What?”

“I’m just thinking about how she was when she was poisoned. She yelled at Joe and then later confessed that it was because she doesn’t like being fussed over.”

Hu nodded. “I’m not sure it’s that she doesn’t like to be fussed over, I think it’s more that she doesn’t know what to do when she’s being fussed over.”

“That’s probably a more accurate explanation.”

“You care about her.” Hu whispered.

“I do. I’m not sure how she managed it.”

“Managed what?”

“To make me care about her like I do.” Shep shrugged. “Other bosses have been in situations where we weren’t sure what was going to happen to them, and I was worried about them, but this time…”

“You were scared.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “But why? What is it about that woman in there, the one that yells and shouts at us all, that makes me care so much that I haven’t slept in days because I was afraid that we wouldn’t find her…that we would find her dead?”

Hu patted Shep on the arm. “I haven’t figured that part out myself.”


	26. Chapter 26

Vera’s eyes fluttered open then she squinted against the light before blinking to adjust. Looking around, her eyes settled on the figure in the chair beside her bed. “Billy,” she whispered.

Billy stirred then smiled when he looked up into Vera’s glassy eyes. Reaching out with his free hand, he caressed the hair from her forehead. “Hello, Sassy,” he whispered, grinning when she glared at him. He’d done it on purpose to see what sort of reaction he got and she’d just made his day by giving him the usual one. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her head, pausing to get his emotions under control. He’d been so very afraid of losing her.

“Billy,” she whispered when she felt a tear run into her hair.

Sitting up, Billy wiped at his eyes. “Sorry, love. I was afraid I was going to lose you.”

Vera nodded, she’d been afraid of that herself. “Is he,” she started but a cough got in the way.

“Easy. You shouldn’t try to talk. You’ve been under heavy sedation for a week now.”

“Week?” she mouthed, deciding talking, even whispering, was only going to aggravate her throat.

Moving away a moment, Billy came back with a wet cloth. Wiping her lips, he let a few drops of water trickle into her mouth to wet her throat. “When the nurse comes I’ll ask for some ice chips, hmm?”

Vera nodded then winced.

“Don’t move.” Billy took her hand again after pushing the call button. “Your eyes are still glassy from the drugs.”

“Tell me,” she mouthed, hoping Billy understood what she wanted to know. Her mind was still fuzzy.

“You’re bruised all over, you have cracked and broken ribs, a lung was punctured, your lip was busted open, and you have a gash on your forehead that had to be stitched up.”

“Legs,” she wanted to know, her mind wasn’t so fuzzy that she hadn’t noticed that she couldn't feel them.

Billy looked down at their hands, his thumb tenderly caressing the soft skin of hers. “Wait for the doctor, Love,” he said then looked up. “Please.”

Vera squeezed his hand. “Haunting me...” she frowned. “...still.”

“Yes, I know.” Lifting her hand, he pressed a kiss to the fingers. “You’ve been screaming, even with the sedative. Today’s the first time they’ve been able to wean you off it and you not start screaming.”

“Wasn’t haunting me with the murder.”

“Another more pleasant thing this time then.”

“Yes.”

“Well I’m glad of that.” He smiled at her then turned when he heard the door open. “Look who’s bright eyes are open,” he told the nurse and smiled when the young woman grinned.

“I’ll go get her doctor.”

“Thank you.”

Vera frowned and squeezed Billy’s hand to get his attention. “Conquest?”

Billy laughed and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to Vera’s lips. “That mouth!”

Vera sputtered and glared at him. “Billy,” she hissed.

Still laughing, Billy shook his head. “Not a conquest. She’s just happy to see that you’re awake. They’ve all been very caring and worried about you.” The smile left his face as he reached up to cup her cheek. “The screams got to them, too, love.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You couldn’t help it.” Billy wanted to ask if her own attack had been mixed in with what Hellen had been haunting her with, but he decided he’d wait and let Vera herself bring the subject up and hoped that Hu was there when she did.

“Well hello, Miss Stanhope. It’s nice to finally see you awake.”

Vera started to turn her head then decided against it when she remembered the pain from before. Letting her eyes do the moving, she found herself staring up at an older gentleman she presumed was her doctor.

“It’s your doctor, love. I’m going to go wait out in the hall.” Seeing the look in Vera’s eyes, Billy squeezed her hand. “I’ll be just right outside the room. As soon as he’s done, I’ll be back. Maybe I’ll bring a visitor with me.” He winked when she raised an eyebrow. “You’ll see.”

 

~*~

 

_“Marty, what are you doing?” Hellen asked when she felt something soft skimming up her leg._

_“What does it feel like, Love?”_

_“I don’t know. It isn’t your hand.” She bit her lip then caught a whiff of something she recognized. “A rose?”_

_“Yes. It’s the only thing I could think of that’s softer than you.”_

_“Daft man,” she muttered then hummed when he brought the flower up over her thigh. “Why in the dark?”_

_“Because I wanted you to feel.”_

_“I would feel in the light too, Marty.”_

_“But not like this. Tell me you would have concentrated as much if you’d known what I was touching you with.”_

_Hellen smiled. “No, I wouldn’t have.”_

_Drawing the rose up her body and circling a nipple with it, Martin found her mouth and kissed her, relishing in the feel of her body pressed into his. She tasted of the wine they’d shared and the chocolate he’d fed her before he’d had her lay back and then turned the lights off. “Best anniversary ever,” he breathed against her lips._

_Hellen tangled the fingers of both hands in his hair and moaned when his lips left hers and moved to nuzzle her neck. “A real honeymoon,” she whispered then gasped when she felt the warmth of his mouth suckling her nipple._

_Pulling away just long enough to turn the light on, Martin looked down at his wife. “Have you enjoyed, Bali?”_

_“Well, I don’t know,” she grinned. “I haven’t seen enough of it to be sure.”_

_Martin laughed and kissed her nose. “I have sort of kept you to myself.”_

_“Have you heard me complaining?”_

_“No.” He winked. “I’ve heard a lot of things, but none of them were complaints.”_

_“Marty!” Hellen felt herself blush. Sighing when his mouth moved against her neck again, she caressed his head. “I love you, Marty,” she whispered._

_Pushing himself up on his forearms, Marty looked down at her and caressed the hair from her face. “And I’m the luckiest of men because of it.”_

Vera whimpered as the pleasant scene changed to images she couldn’t quite make out, a place she’d seen but didn’t know and pain, so much pain. “I’m not her,” she cried. “I’m not her.”

“Shh.” Billy whispered as he caressed her face. “Vera, love, it’s Billy. Wake up now.”

Vera turned her face into the hand on her cheek and slowly opened her eyes. “I’m not her.”

“No, Love, I know you’re not.”

“But he wouldn’t listen. I’m not her,” she repeated as tears filled her eyes.

“Shh. I know you’re not, Love.” Billy assured her again. “It’s alright, I’m right here and you’re safe. There’s no one to hurt you anymore.”

“Why wouldn’t he believe me? I’m not her.”

“He was sick, and I know you’re not. You’re my friend Vera.” Billy kept his voice even and low, wondering if Vera was really completely awake, his question answered when her eyes slowly closed and her breathing evened out. “Why is Mrs. Kingsley still haunting her?” he whispered to the friend he knew was standing behind him.

“I don’t know, Billy, although I suspect what caused that wasn’t Mrs. Kingsley haunting her. I think she was dreaming of her own attack this time. She was fine for a while, and she might well have been seeing something from Mrs. Kingsley, but I think it was a nice memory, nothing bad.”

“But then her own memories interfered.” Billy sighed. “I hate this. I don’t like seeing her hurting.”

Hu squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “You helped her before.”

Billy shook his head. “Not much. Stewart was who she turned to back then.”

“But you were still there for her when she needed you.”

“Yes. Always.”

“Then you’ll do just like before. She’ll need your strength, and you’ll give it because you love her.”

Billy looked over his shoulder at Hu. “I’m not in love with her.”

“And I didn’t say that.”

“I think you might be, though.” Billy whispered after studying his friend a moment.

“You’re the second person who’s suggested that. I’m not.”

Billy shrugged and turned his attention back to Vera. “If you are, she’ll fight you. She doesn’t want to love again, she’s been hurt too deeply and it scares her. She doesn’t like not being in control.”

“Well I’m not, so we’re fine.”

“If you say so.”

Hu rolled his eyes. What was with these people? Surely he knew his own heart and mind. He was not in love with Vera.


	27. Chapter 27

“Hello, Vera.” Hu smiled when she opened her eyes. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked.”

She wrinkled her nose. “She hasn’t haunted me in a few days.”

“That’s good. Maybe she’s shown you all that she wanted you to see.”

“Maybe.” Vera looked away from Hu. “Did I kill him?” she whispered.

“Yes, you did, but he gave you no choice.” Hu answered, wondering why she hadn’t asked Billy.

“I tried to ask Billy, but he told me I shouldn’t try to talk. Later, I suppose I just didn’t want to upset him,” she said as if she’d heard Hu’s thoughts.

“I don’t think it would have. I think he would have answered you just as I did.”

“How did you get him to take a break? Is he home resting?”

“I promised him I would stay here and yes, he’s home resting. I told him he was beginning to scare the nurses.”

Vera grinned at that. “He was a bit scruffy looking.”

“More than a bit.” Hu winked at her. “He hasn’t left this hospital since you were brought in, no matter how hard I tried to convince him to.”

“Daft man,” she whispered.

“No. A worried man…his friend was hurt.”

“They say I may not walk properly…if I walk that is.”

“You’ll walk. You’re too stubborn not to.” Hu assured her.

“You’re starting to sound like Billy.”

“You know you are. I’m not saying it will be easy, because it won’t, but I do believe you’ll walk and walk properly. Though, you never know…a cane would give you something to shake at your crew.”

Wrinkling her nose at Hu, Vera felt like sticking her tongue out at him. She settled for, “Smart arse,” instead.

Hu chuckled. He liked seeing her teasing and her usual self. He knew it was a cover, suspected her sharp wit and often sharper tongue, had always been covers, but for now, he’d take it. It was far better than her screams. “Are you hungry? They’ve said you can have a bit of something to eat if you woke up and asked.”

“I’d love a good stiff drink, but that I know wasn’t what they meant.”

Hu shook his head. “No, not at all. It wouldn’t mix well with your medications.”

“And I suppose they want me to have something liquid like broth or soup…” she sighed.

“Well, that would be best.”

She snarled her nose. “I’ll keep it in mind. I’m not really hungry at the moment.”

“Fine then.” Hu watched her staring out the window and wondered what she was thinking.

“Why am I in a private room?” Vera asked after a few moments.

“You weren’t at first but your screams warranted it.”

“I was disrupting the others on the ward,” she guessed.

“Yes, but no one blamed you. You couldn’t help it.”

“Will they move me now?”

“No. You’re still having trouble with dreams…”

“Nightmares,” she mumbled interrupting him.

“Nightmares,” he agreed. “You’ll stay here until you’re well enough to be moved. Then they’ll decide on where to send you.”

“Home. I want to go home.”

“I know you do, but that won’t happen for a while.”

“Couldn’t I go if I promised to hire someone to come in and make sure I wasn’t alone?”

“You’ll have to ask.” Hu moved to where she had to look at him. “Don’t push to be released too soon. You were half dead when we found you and your ribs and back are going to take a long time to heal. Let them. If you push yourself too soon, you could hurt yourself even more. And you don’t want to lessen your chances of walking again.”

Wrinkling her nose at him, Vera sighed. “I just hate being fussed over.”

Hu couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering Shep’s words to him a few days before Vera woke up.

“What?”

“Something Shep said to me. She told me you didn’t like to be fussed over.”

“I don’t. I’ve never seen the need for it.”

Hu cocked his head and studied her. “Is it that you’ve never seen the need, or is it that you were never afforded the care of someone to fuss over you?”

Vera closed her eyes. “Me mam did.”

“And Peter.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“And the only two people who ever cared enough to fuss were taken away from you. You determined that you didn’t like being fussed over after that because there was no one to do it. I’d say you didn’t like being fussed over before Peter came along and changed your mind.”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions.”

“No.” Hu shook his head. “I’m making observations, there’s a difference.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “Are they investigating me?”

Hu started to wonder what made her ask that and then stopped himself. Why wouldn’t she? She’d been doing this job a long time, of course she’d know they would investigate. “Yes.”

“And have they brought in my replacement, yet?”

“Not the last I’d talked to any of your crew.”

“You’ve talked to someone other than Shep?”

“Yes. I’ve chatted with them all. Kenny thinks just what we want him to, I’m a friend of yours and Billy’s. Aiden, I’m not sure if he believes the story or not. He might well think I’m a secret lover since he knows I’ve been to your home.”

“Secret lover!” Vera spluttered.

Hu laughed at her reaction then continued. “Shep, well…she guessed who I am. She’s too smart to fall for the friend story.”

“A younger me.”

“Is that why you’ve opened up to her? Because she reminds you of yourself?”

“Probably. That and the cheeky lass won’t let me be.”

“Because she cares. They all do.”

“They’re just worried about who their next boss will be.”

“Whoever it is will only be temporary. You’ll be back bossing them about.”

Vera just hummed and went back to staring out the window. Her eyes slowly slid shut and she drifted off, wondering if she was going to be haunted or have nightmares.

Hu watched Vera, his thoughts nearly mirroring hers though he didn’t know it. He felt sorry for her, for the childhood she’d had after her mother died, and for the loss of the life she would have had with Peter had he not been murdered.

That thought brought him back to the day Billy had told him just what had happened to Peter. Would those same people try to keep Vera from returning to work? Billy had told him that they had never interfered with her here, that the corruption had never been here, but what if it was here now? What if this was a chance for those people that had been half directing Vera’s life ever since she’d stumbled unknowingly onto their path, to finally get her out of their way?

Hu hoped his thoughts were just the tired wonderings of his mind because if they tried, Vera would start digging and wind up learning the whole truth about Peter’s death…and put herself right back in danger.

Yawning, he let himself drift off, sure that if Vera cried out he would hear her and wake up. He was exhausted but he’d promised Billy not to leave Vera’s side so here he’d stay until Billy returned.

 

~*~

 

_Hellen sighed as she settled into the bath, her body leaning back against Martin’s. “I like this,” she whispered as she skimmed a foot over his calf._

_Sliding his hand down her thigh, Martin smiled when her breath caught on a moan at the feel of his fingers moving over her sensitive flesh. “Like that, Love?”_

_“Ooh, you know that I do,” she whispered then moaned. “Marty,” she whimpered his name when his fingers slid inside her. Hellen marveled at the change in herself. Where before she’d hated Martin touching her or being near her, now she loved the feel of him touching her and wanted to keep him as near to her as she could. “Kiss me,” she whispered then moaned when his mouth replaced his fingers, kissing her but not exactly how she’d meant or expected. “Marty!” she cried out as her hand clutched at the sides of the tub. His name became a chant as her body began to move against his mouth trying to get closer or pull away, she wasn’t sure._

_Martin pressed his hand against her lower abdomen, smiling against her when she cried out as her orgasm finally rolled over her. “Beautiful,” he whispered as he slid up her body, the water sloshing about them._

_Hellen opened her eyes and smiled up at her husband. “That’s a new experience for the bath,” she panted making Martin laugh and kiss her. “That’s the kind of kiss I meant,” she muttered against his lips._

_Martin laughed again and nuzzled her nose with his. “I enjoyed the other kiss.”_

_She grinned and blushed as she nodded. “I did, too,” she admitted. Cupping his face, Hellen stared into his love filled eyes. “I love you so very much, Marty. I find that I enjoy anything as long as you’re with me, touching me in some way.” She bit her lip and looked down where his body was pressed against hers. “I crave your touch and want it all the time. I miss you when you’re at the club.”_

_“I don’t have to go into the club anymore, Love, not if you don’t want me to.” Martin nuzzled her nose again, smiling when she looked at him. “I’ve got a good manager now. I’d much rather be with you, touching you, spending time with you.”_

_“Do you mean it, Marty?”_

_“Yes. I was going to tell you that as part of my surprise for you while we’re here.”_

_“Wasn’t the trip enough?”_

_“No, Love. Never enough.”_

_“Oh Marty,” she sighed, her eyes slipping closed when his lips covered hers._

Vera moaned then slowly opened her eyes. “Damn it all, Hellen,” she mumbled. “You have to quit that.”

“Quit what?”

Vera started then looked toward where the voice had come from. “Hu. I didn’t realize you were still here.”

“Obviously.” He grinned. “I didn’t realize you’d taken to talking to Mrs. Kingsley.” Hu could see the flush to Vera’s skin and couldn’t help but snicker which earned him a glare. “I’m not afraid of that.”

Vera huffed. “You’re impossible.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to mention the fact that I know why you were mumbling at Mrs. Kingsley. You’re flushed.”

“She really needs to stop showing me that sort of thing.”

“Didn’t you tell me that her mother-in-law was who gave her the therapist’s number?”

“Yes.”

“Well then maybe Mrs. Kingsley wants you to see these things so you can tell the therapist and her mother-in-law that she and Mr. Kingsley were happy.”

“Well damn it all, she could do that without showing me…” Vera scowled. “Without showing me _that._ ”

“Them making love, you mean?”

“Yes, and you knew that.” Vera didn’t ignore the urge to stick her tongue out this time earning her a laugh from her companion. “Oh go away.”

“No. I promised Billy, remember? He’d have my head. And since he knows how to remove a head, I think I’ll stay right where I am.”

Vera shook her head and tried desperately not to laugh at the wild mental image that had just popped into her head with Hu’s words, but she failed and a chuckle slipped out.

“Oh, so you think that’s funny, huh? You’re hard on a man, woman.”

Vera shrugged. “At least you’re not one of my team.”

Hu shook his head. “No thank you. I’ve heard stories.”

Vera narrowed her eyes. “And just what stories have they been telling?”

“Oh no you don’t. I’m not snitching.”

“Then why bring it up!” Vera scowled at him then found herself laughing when Hu grinned at her. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you’re laughing.” Hu smiled at her when she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“You did it to make me laugh.”

“I did. I’ve never heard you laugh. I like it.”

“It felt good,” she admitted quietly.

“Laughter will help you and so will I if you’ll let me.”


	28. Chapter 28

“Why would you think she did something wrong? Have you seen her?” Shep asked as she stared across at the people investigating Vera and the death of Steven Franklin.

“We’ll ask the questions, DC Shepherd.”

Shep crossed her arms and sat back. _Question me all you want to_ written all over her face. If they thought they were going to get something out of her to hurt Vera, they were sadly mistaken.

“We’ll ask again, was DCI Stanhope personally involved with the family or the man she killed.”

“No, she was not.”

“You expect us to believe that she just happened upon a murder scene where one of the victims looks exactly like her.”

“Not exactly. Figure was smaller and her hair wasn’t red.” Shep pointed out.

“Enough attitude, DC Shepherd.”

“Only pointing out that Mrs. Kingsley was not exactly like DCI Stanhope.”

“You’ve picked up her bad habits.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I was very good at my job before I ever met her, though I will admit that working with DCI Stanhope has made me more observant.”

“Why did she keep the details of the bodies at the scene a secret from DC Lockhart and DS Healy but not from you? She actually let you into the bedroom before the bodies were removed.”

“You’ve seen the photos. I’m the only woman on the team. She felt that it would make things awkward for DC Lockhart and DS Healy if they were to see the naked body of a woman that resembled their superior. I didn’t find anything wrong in that. Neither of them needed to see the bodies as they were to be able to do their job.”

“But yet you did?”

“No, I did not, but I was first on scene. It would have been rather difficult for me not to see.”

“And if the first on scene had been DS Healy?”

“She would have let him go in and do his job, but he wasn’t, and so she was able to keep the awkwardness at a minimum. I’m not sure why this seems to be such an issue. The murderer was found.”

“Which took far longer than it should have. And, he’s dead.”

Shep looked at the man as if he’d grown two heads. “Have you looked at the case files at all? The only suspect we had was the former manager of Mr. Kingsley’s club. He was all we had for a week until DCI Stanhope learned that there had been a man doing work about the Kingsley’s place.”

“We’ve read the case files.”

“Then how can you possibly hold it against DCI Stanhope that it took us so long to find the murderer? We had nothing. Nothing. These people had no enemies. Their neighbors barely knew them, most of them doing their best to snub the Kingsley’s once they learned what Mr. Kingsley’s business was. We did everything we could. We annoyed the neighbors by constantly going and asking them questions. If it wasn’t for DCI Stanhope, we wouldn’t have had any of the leads that we did.”

“And just how did she know to ask the family the questions that she did?”

“She’s very good at her job. She doesn’t always tell us why she does something.” Shep shrugged. “Her mind works differently than ours. She sees things none of us do and she processes everything at a speed that I sometimes wonder is equal to a computer.”

“Or maybe in this case she just simply knew the answers before the questions were asked because she was involved.”

“Oh, not that again. She was not involved. Have you bothered to talk to her?” Shep asked then frowned when she noticed the looks on their faces. “You haven’t. You haven’t even seen her. Have you at least heard of the hell she was put through?”

“We’re done now, DC Shepherd. DCI Stanhope’s replacement will be here tomorrow.”

“Lovely.” Shep snapped as she got up and stormed from the room. Anger was rolling off her in waves. Anger so hot that all she wanted to do was hit something or shoot something. Ignoring the calls from Aiden and Kenny, she rushed out to her car and took off. Hitting something, she decided, wouldn’t be enough so shooting something won out. And she knew just the place.

 

~*~

 

“What the hell?” Aiden looked at Kenny. “Shep just blew outta here like…”

“A very angry woman ready to hit something.” Kenny finished. “Probably a good thing she left. They must have really raked her over the coals.”

Aiden shook his head. “No. Not Shep.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it wasn’t Shep they raked over the coals.” Aiden looked at Kenny then lowered his voice. “They’re after Vera.”

“Bloody hell.” Kenny murmured then rubbed a hand over his face. “I knew it. Someone that’s been holding a grudge has seen this as their chance to get rid of her.”

“But who?”

“Who knows with Vera.”

“Do you think it’s someone at the top?”

“Oh no doubt.”

“Damn.”

Kenny nodded. “Well they aren’t going to get anything from me. I’ll not be used to get their revenge on her.”

“Same goes for me. She may be an anti-social cow, but she’s a good boss.”

“At least you don’t really have anything they can ask you about to try and use against her.” Kenny sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“Remember the story about her throwing the file at me?”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.”

“Don’t tell them.”

“And how do you figure I’ll have a choice?”

“If they ask, don’t give them a straight answer. Call Shep and ask her what she did. I guarantee they didn’t get anything out of her.”

“I’m sure they didn’t. She makes me think of a young Vera.”

“Did you know her back then?”

Kenny shook his head. “No. Didn’t know her until she came here. I’ve just heard stories.”

“Maybe Shep reminds Vera of herself and that’s why she’s never been as hard on Shep.”

“Could be. Or it could just be that Shep is damned good at the job because of her MP training. I don’t know. I just know she was annoyed when Shep was transferred. She tried to stop it, but higherups didn’t listen.”

“But after Bethany’s death…” Aiden started, still feeling a tug at his heart when he thought of his fallen colleague.

“She demanded Shep’s transfer back.” Kenny finished the thought. “Vera doesn’t intend to let Shep go until it’s Shep’s decision to leave, and even then she’ll probably try and talk her out of it.”

Aiden nodded with a small smile. “Probably. I’m going home. It’s been a damned long day and I’m afraid if I stay here they’ll drag me in to be interrogated.”

“I’ll join you. Maybe we can go to the pub for a pint before home.”

“Charlie’d kill me.”

“Oh?”

“Baby number two and if she can’t drink…”

“Neither can you. I remember those days.” Kenny chuckled. “Go on then. I’ll see you in the morning. And Aiden…”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll protect Vera.”

Aiden nodded and waved goodbye before leaving. His thoughts turned to his boss, wondering how she was doing, too afraid to go and see her. He knew it was cowardly, but he just couldn’t bring himself to face her. He shouldn’t have let her have her way. He should have followed her all the time, not just at night when she was going home. Most of all, he just couldn’t bare to see her battered face again.


	29. Chapter 29

Vera grunted as she eased down into the wheelchair. While she couldn’t walk, she had forced herself to sit up after the doctor had told her she could go home once she could sit up without causing herself pain. It hurt like hell, but she wanted to go home, so she did what she always did. Pushed through it and got her way.

“We’re going to miss you, Ms. Stanhope.” The young nurse smiled as she handed Vera her bag.

Vera scoffed. “Going to miss my friends more like. They’re both very easy on the eyes.” She looked up at the young woman. “And I’m sure Billy’s been a horrible flirt.”

The young nurse shook her head. “No. He hasn’t flirted with any of us. He’s been completely focused on you. He must love you very much.”

“He’s just a friend, pet. We’ve known each other for a long time. He was afraid of losing the one person in his life that will put up with his cheek.” Vera patted the young woman’s hand. “You’ve taken very good care of me, Love, and I’m grateful. I hate being fussed over.”

“We noticed.”

Vera chuckled as she smiled up at the young woman. “Cheeky.”

“Ah! Vera! You’ve been released!” Billy smiled as he waited for her by the lift.

“As if you didn’t know. Daft buggar.”

Billy grinned as he knelt down in front of her. He could see the pain in her eyes, knew that she was ignoring it so she could go home. “Yes, I knew. I’m going to take you home.”

“I knew that. Although I’m surprised you didn’t push me off on Hu.” She raised an eyebrow at him, letting him know she knew what he’d been up to.

“Hu was busy.”

“Uh huh.”

The lift dinged before their back and forth could continue and the nurse chuckled as she pushed Vera in. Shaking her head as she watched the pair, she wondered just how it was that a woman could be so blind to what was right in front of her face. She’d seen both men, and in her opinion…both of them were in love with Ms. Stanhope, whether any of them knew it or not.

 

~*~

 

Shep got out of her car when Billy’s car pulled up in front of Vera’s house. She hadn’t seen her boss but once since she’d been weaned off the sedative, but after the run in she’d had with the replacement, she’d needed to take a personal day, knowing she had to talk to Vera. She had to know what to do.

“Hello, Ma’am,” she greeted as she walked up to the car, smiling when Vera looked up at her.

“Shep? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“Took a personal day.”

Vera quirked an eyebrow. “Just to greet me?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Vera gave Shep a look, she didn’t believe the young woman. Something was going on. “Alright. Help Billy get me the house and then out with it.”

“What?” Shep asked as she held the wheelchair steady as Billy gently helped Vera out of the car and settled her in the seat. Shep heard the hissed breath, saw Billy caress Vera’s hand as he looked at her with a worried frown, and she realized that her boss was in pain and hiding it so she could be home. Damn stubborn woman.

“Oh don’t even try, pet. You’re not here to welcome me home.” Vera told Shep, looking up at the younger woman as they moved toward the house.

Shep sighed. “You know that’s annoying.”

Vera chuckled. “That’s what they always say.”

Shep shook her head and looked up at Billy when he came in with Vera’s bag. “How the bloody hell do you put up with her?”

Billy laughed as he grinned down at Vera. “I’ve known her too long to give up now.”

Vera huffed and rolled her eyes. “Help me out of this damn contraption. I’m convinced a man with rocks for arse cheeks invented it.”

Shep laughed as she pushed Vera over to the sofa and held it steady as Billy transferred Vera from the wheelchair to the much more comfortable piece of furniture. “Better?” she asked.

“Much, you cheeky thing. Now,” she pointed at the end of the sofa. “Sit and tell me what’s eating you.”

Billy tucked a throw over Vera and put another pillow behind her back. “I’ll just go get my things and the make us all some lunch.”

Shep raised an eyebrow as she watched Billy leave then turned her attention back to her boss. “His things?”

“Well, you didn’t think he was going to let me stay here by myself, did you?”

“No. I just assumed that you’d have hired a nurse.”

“Oh, there’s one of those too. Billy insisted. He’ll work during the day and the nurse will watch me. He’ll come back and tend to me in the evenings.”

“And physical therapy?”

“Oh, that’s taken care of too, though I won’t start for another couple of weeks.”

“Sounds like he has it all worked out.”

Vera shrugged. “I’m no longer in charge of my life,” she scowled then shook her head. “Never mind that. Tell my why you’re here.”

Shep looked down at her hands. “I had another run in with your replacement.”

“Temporary replacement. I will be back, Shep. Even if I have to go back and just sit behind my desk. I will be back.”

“I hope so.” Shep whispered.

Vera cocked her head and studied her visitor. “What’s going on, Shep? Why did you say you hope so?”

Shep looked up at her boss. “They’re out to get you. They’ve made accusations. They’re trying to make it look like you had something to do with all of this mess, that it’s your fault it took so long to find the murderer, that…” she bit her lip and shook her head. She didn’t know how Vera was dealing with her part in Steven’s death and didn’t want to upset her.

“I didn’t set out to murder anyone, Shep.”

“I know that!” Shep nearly shouted as she stared wide eyed at Vera. “I never thought any different! None of us do!”

“Calm down now.” Vera held out her hand, smiling when Shep finally took it. Giving the trembling hand a gentle squeeze, she studied Shep. “What’s wrong, Shep?”

“I’m worried about you.” Shep admitted. “They interrogated me but didn’t bother the guys. They never talked to you, they never saw what he did to you, they…”

“Hey. I can take care of myself.”

Shep scowled at that. “Don’t start that again!”

“Shep. I took care of myself. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Damn it!” Shep felt tears sting her eyes and pulled away. Standing up she paced around the room, avoiding Vera so that the older woman didn’t see the tears that had refused to go away.

“Shep, come here.” Vera whispered, her heart melting at the sight of the younger woman so clearly upset. She hadn’t realized how much Shep cared about her. “Come here,” she said again when Shep shook her head.

Shep finally gave in and moved to sit where Vera indicated which put her directly beside Vera. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…I’ve never had a boss like you before and damn it all, I was afraid.”

Vera chuckled and wiped at the tears on Shep’s face. “I was scared myself, but we won’t tell anyone that. It will be our secret. We don’t want the guys thinking we’ve turned in to simpering women.”

Shep laughed as she looked at Vera. “You’re insane. You know that, right?”

“I do. But you’re just as insane for caring about your crazy boss.”

Shep smiled. “Maybe I am, but I do.” Her smile faded as she looked down to where Vera held her hands. “I blame myself for not being more stubborn about protecting you. I should never have let you go off by yourself at any time. I should have ignored your assurances that you can take care of yourself and did what I wanted to anyway.”

“And I would have threatened to write you up for insubordination.” Vera told her. “Shep, I think I can safely say, without it going further, I made mistakes. This case rattled me, far more than you could imagine, and I was doing my best to keep all of you from realizing I was going mad.”

“What do you mean? Going mad? You aren’t mad.”

“Oh, but I felt like I was. Shep,” Vera started then sighed, realizing she’d have to finally tell the young woman all of the truth if she was ever to get her to stop blaming herself for what happened. No one was to blame but Vera herself, and she’d not have one of the strongest members of her team breaking down over her. “Ever since the day I found Martin and Hellen Kingsley, she’s haunted me.”

Shep blinked in surprise and frowned. “Haunted you? As in a ghost?”

“No. I’ve seen things in my dreams as if I were Hellen. I was living things that happened to her. I felt her fear, her happiness, sadness…death.” Vera stopped and closed her eyes. “I know that it sounds like I’ve gone balmy, but that’s why I looked like hell. I wasn’t sleeping because all I saw when I’d close my eyes were things Hellen needed me to see. How do you think I knew to ask Anne about the therapist? How do you think I knew to ask her about possible threats? If Hellen had an affair…or any of the other things that I just seemed to know…how do you think I knew them? I saw Martin die, that’s why Billy started spending the night here, why I let you get by with following me and staying outside to watch the house when I was alone. In the hospital, the screams…that was because I finally saw all of the day Hellen and Martin were murdered. I felt her die…me die. I was her…she was me. I felt the arm around my neck, felt the warmth of the blood that sprayed over her when Steven cut Martin’s throat…I could smell it. I felt the burn of the knife cutting my own throat…her throat. Do you understand? I wasn’t thinking clearly, Shep. None of what happened to me is your fault or Aiden’s. It’s mine, and mine alone.”

Shep’s tears had returned and they rolled down her cheeks as she stared at her boss whose own eyes were watery with tears. “I’m sorry.”

“For what, pet?”

“That you had to experience all of that.”

“There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do it to me. I learned a lot about the couple that we never would have known, and I have things that I can tell their family that will give them some peace. I promised Anne that I would tell them once this was over.”

“You mean you told her?”

“I had to when she got suspicious of why I was asking about something only she should have known.”

“And how did she take it?”

“She was confused at first, but then I explained and she understood…she believed me. I hope you do.”

Shep nodded. “I do. The others might not. And I know the idiots investigating you won’t.”

Vera patted Shep’s hands. “I’ll be okay, pet. They’ll make some noise then they’ll see my medical report and that will be that. They can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m like a bad penny.”

“They’re trying very hard.” Squeezing Vera’s hands, Shep held her gaze. “I didn’t say anything they could use against you. They know nothing about anything that you told me in confidence.” She chuckled and grinned mischievously. “I may have given them a bit of run around.”

Vera laughed. “And that’s why I wanted you back.” Patting Shep’s hands, she gently nudged the younger woman to move. “Go see what in the world Billy’s up to. I haven’t heard him banging about and I’m hungry.”

Shep nodded, laughing as she wandered off into the kitchen, nearly bumping into Billy as she did. “Whoa. Eavesdropping?”

“Yes.” Billy admitted.

“She’s one helluva woman.”

“Yes, she is…but don’t let her fool you.”

“It’s all a cover. I know.”

“We’ll fix it. I promise, Shep. Between Hu and I, we’ll get her to talk. She’s said she doesn’t remember exactly what happened with Steven, but Hu can help her. She needs to remember if she’s going to keep those vultures off her tail.”

“I’ll do whatever I need to.”

Billy smiled and nodded. “She cares a great deal about you, Shep. Just be careful how ever you choose to deal with this new DCI.”

“I will be. I have no intentions of doing anything to get me removed from the team. We’re her team and we’re all going to be there waiting for her when she comes back.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it - the end. I've left a few loose ends, but that was intentional. Thought I haven't marked it as such (yet), this story is the first in a series. The second story will tie up what I've left hanging in this story.

 

 

 

 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Hu asked as Billy helped Vera into her wheelchair.

“I told you, I can’t remember anything. I have to go back to work. I’m going crazy sitting here.”

“But Vera, what if something at works triggers a memory?”

“Shep will be there.” Vera sighed as she settled herself more comfortably in the chair. “I can’t let my crew keep putting up with my replacement. They’re miserable, Hu. I’ve never heard of DCI Strather, but from what Shep’s been telling me, he’s horrible. He’s put her behind a desk and won’t let her do any investigating. Evidently he doesn’t like women coppers.”

“So he’s a sexist pig.”

“Yes.” Vera hissed. “I won’t have my crew treated like that.”

“Even though you yell and shout at them?” Billy broke into the conversation.

Vera scowled across the room at Billy. “You hush up. I yell and shout when they do something that I know they know better than. I push them to be the good investigators I know they can be so that when they leave me, they have more positions open to them. As long as they’re doing their best, I treat them as equals.”

“Even though they’re not.” Hu smiled at her. “None of them are equal to you, and I don’t mean rank.”

“Flattery, Hu, will get you no where. I’m going to work.”

“And does your temporary replacement know that you’re going to work?”

“No.”

“Sneak attack.”

“Yes. Shep knows.”

“And is anxiously awaiting the scene I’m guessing.” Billy half chuckled as he bent over to look at his friend.

Vera wrinkled her nose at Billy and tapped his cheek. “Don’t be so cheeky. Let’s go.”

Billy grinned as he stood up and gave her a sketchy salute. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“I’m going with you.” Hu told her.

“I don’t need you to babysit. I told you, Shep is there. She’ll take care of me. You know that she knows all about the haunting, the nightmares…everything. She’ll protect me as well as the two of you have and do. But I don’t need you to keep babying me. I need to get back to being me.” She shrugged and tapped the arm of her wheelchair. “As much me as I can be.”

Hu stopped Billy before he pushed Vera out the door and knelt down in front of her. “I’m not babying you. I’m only worried because no one goes through what you did and just bounces back. I only want to help you be you. You’re still having nightmares. I see the look in your eyes. It’s there at the back of your mind, poking at you, waiting for a weak moment to come bursting out. I don’t want that to happen around people that won’t understand, people that might hold it against you.” Sighing, he looked up at Billy, making a decision to tell her something they had decided not to. “Vera, the IA team. They’ve questioned me.”

Vera frowned. “And you didn’t tell me because?”

Billy joined Hu and held her hand. “Because we didn’t want to upset you anymore than you were.”

“Babying me.”

“No.” Billy sighed, “Protecting you, damn it. I know you don’t like that, and I understand why, but neither of us put ourselves in danger by doing this.”

Vera sighed and nodded then looked at Hu. “And what did they want?”

“They demanded to know why I had been seeing you. I informed them that I wasn’t seeing you in an official capacity, that I was nothing more than a friend having dinner with a friend. I told them that I had been asked to do another friend a favor and that’s all our time spent together was. I might have also implied there was something going on between the two of us when they wouldn’t believe it was merely dinner.”

Vera frowned. “And I suppose they believed _that_.”

“No.”

“Of course not.” She looked down at her hands then took a deep breath and looked back up at them. “Let’s go.”

Hu looked at Billy, neither of them having missed the look on Vera’s face. Both of them knew that Vera hadn’t told them how affected she’d been as a woman by the memories Hellen had shared of her and Martin making love. Hu knew more about it than Billy, since he’d forced Vera to tell him that she’d been aroused just as Hellen had been, as if she was Hellen, but she hadn’t admitted the emotional toll it had taken on her. He knew from Billy that Vera hadn’t been with a man since Peter, so he knew that her body hadn’t experienced any of the things it did during the haunting until those hauntings had started. That would take an emotional toll on anyone.

“Hu.” Vera tapped his cheek. “Where did you go?” she asked when he finally looked at her.

“Sorry. Gathering wool as my mother used to say.”

Titling her head, Vera studied the man. “Me, you were thinking about me.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be fine. You can have dinner with Billy and I tonight to see for yourself.”

Hu nodded. “Fine. Why don’t I make something special?”

“Healthy.” Billy reminded.

“Oh shut up.” Hu told him causing Vera to laugh. “I think she’s been good enough with her diet and deserves something a bit naughty. What’s your favorite?” he asked Vera.

Billy huffed. “Oh good grief. It’s a good thing I’m the one that’s been staying with her. She’d have conned you into letting her eat all sorts of junk that’s not good for her.”

“ **She** is right here!” Vera scowled up at Billy then looked back at Hu. “Pasta of any sort so long as it isn’t a healthy pasta dish. And wine. I want more than one glass of wine. Dessert, yes…a nice unhealthy dessert.”

Hu winked at her as Billy huffed. “Chocolate?”

“That would be lovely.”

“Deal.”

Billy grumbled. “Then it’s back to being healthy tomorrow.”

“Oh hush and push me out to the car.” Vera huffed at him then winked at Hu.

Hu moved out of the way, satisfied that he’d done the best he could to put Vera in the right frame of mind to face work without the tension setting her off. He knew she was a strong woman, he’d seen that the first conversation they’d had. But with everything that had happened to her, she was an emotional time bomb that hadn’t gone off yet.

He just didn’t want her to blow at work and embarrass herself.

 

~*~

 

Shep looked at her phone, smiling at the text. _Show time._ Damn she loved the cheek of this woman. _He’s perched behind your desk, completely oblivious_ , she sent back, trying desperately not to grin like an idiot so she didn’t give anything away.

Aiden saw Shep sitting at her desk staring at her mobile and wondered just what she was up to. He knew she was bored and angry, hell, he and Kenny were angry for her. DCI Strather was an arse. Kenny didn’t know much about him, but he had learned from a few of his mates that the man had transferred in from Vera’s old district, though neither of them could figure out why a man would leave the lucrative position he’d held to take this small posting.

Something was clearly up…that was the first thought Kenny had when he looked across the room at Shep. The woman was fairly buzzing in her chair. Then he heard the doors to the incident room open and his eyes widened as Vera wheeled herself in. Grinning, he looked at Shep and winked, figuring out what she’d been up to and applauding her.

Aiden’s eyes widened as he spotted Vera. Grinning, he started to stand up but she shook her head and he stayed where he was, watching as she rolled by…heading straight for her office.

Oh, this was going to be good.

“What sort of mess have you made of my desk?” Vera asked without preamble as she rolled through the door of her office. Looking at the frame sitting in the corner, she raised an eyebrow. “Making yourself comfortable?”

DCI Strather looked up. “What are you doing here?”

“I work here. This my team. My office.” Lifting the papers from her lap, she held them up. “These are my release forms from my doctors. They all told me that I could return to work any time I chose to. I chose today.”

“You can’t just come in here and shove me out.” DCI Strather boomed at her.

Vera just blinked at him. “I’ll be visiting with my crew while you gather your things.”

Shep had moved to sit on the sofa and was grinning when Vera backed out of her office and turned to wheel toward them. Giving her boss a thumbs up, she did her best not to laugh at the muttering and cursing coming from the man currently slamming things about. She saw him pick up the phone and knew what he was doing, but she also knew it wasn’t going to work. Vera had made sure she had the upper hand before she ever moved one inch into the building.

“Well?” Vera asked as she looked from Kenny to Aiden and settled on Shep. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing.” Kenny chuckled when they heard the phone slam down and another curse from DCI Strather. “I’d say he just found out you had the backing of your superiors before you ever came in this morning.”

“I did?” Vera asked as innocently as she could.

Aiden grinned. “It’s good to have that sarcasm back.”

“No sucking up, DS Healy.” Vera winked at him. Waving at DCI Strather as he stormed by, she shrugged then looked back at her team. “First things first, Shep, no more sitting on your arse.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Shep grinned.

“Secondly, I’m still me. I can’t go out in the field like I always have before, but my mind still works like it always has. I need you all to be at your best, better than ever. You’re going to have to do even more leg work than I’ve had you do in the past, but I know you can do it. You’re my crew and the best damn crew out there.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to have you back.”

“Enough of that now.” Vera held up her hand. “Finish up whatever the arse had you working on so that when a new case comes in we can go at it without interruptions.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the three chorused, all of them standing and watching Vera roll toward her office.

“Is she really okay?” Kenny asked, gazing at Shep out of the corner of his eye.

“I think she’s as okay as she can be, more than good enough to be back here where she belongs.”

“We’ll still have to watch out for her.” Aiden whispered as they watched Vera settle behind her desk.

“Just don’t let her know you’re doing it. She’ll have your head.” Kenny grinned.

Shep chuckled and nodded. “We know that already.”

Aiden smiled. “Yes, we do.”

Vera looked up and raised an eyebrow when she saw that her team were standing staring at her. “What? You act as though you’ve never seen me sitting behind me desk before.”

Aiden shrugged as the other two turned to go to their desks. “It’s just good to have you back, Ma’am.”


End file.
